Next phase of Global FinPrint seeks to improve protection of reef sharks worldwide
SARASOTA – Dec. 6, 2023 – With reef shark populations in crisis, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and partners from across the globe are updating the seminal shark survey, Global FinPrint, and applying their findings to the design of new marine protected areas (MPAs).
Read MoreCollaborative research puts mantas on the map in the Philippines
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— a new collaborative scientific study led by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and in cooperation with partners and the public has compiled a national population database for manta rays and has identified four hotspots for the species in the Philippines.
Read MoreCalling all creatives and conservationists! LAMAVE launches a new fellowship program and a photography prize
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— LAMAVE a marine conservation NGO, today announces the launch of a new initiative designed to support young Filipinos advocating for environmental conservation through impact media.
Read MoreHerbalaria launches the Lemurian Seas Collection to support LAMAVE
The Ancestral roots family company, Herbalaria, located in the heart of East Hollywood, Tongva Territory, California, has been working hard to bring a product that not only supports LAMAVE but also connects us to the ocean. The result is their ‘Lemurian Seas Collection’ which features red marine algae and rejuvenating botanicals to give you lasting luminous hydration. A portion of the sales of all Lemurian Seas Collection products will be donated to LAMAVE’s marine conservation efforts in the Philippines.
Read MoreNew study redefines provisioning in marine wildlife tourism
Philippines, 29 June 2021, A new study by researchers from the Southern Shark Ecology Group at Flinders University, James Cook University and Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines, amongst others, has reviewed the current use of provisioning-associated terminology within the marine wildlife tourism sector and has proposed to reclassify provisioning into Feeding, Attracting and Modifying habitat.
Read MoreEMBARK ON A DESCENT MISSION WITH GARMIN AND LAMAVE
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign launched to unite divers across Asia to support marine research for the conservation of marine megafauna and their habitats and Garmin expands the Descent Mk2 series lineup with the new Descent Mk2S…
Read MoreNew study finds that working in wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species
Philippines. 22 March 2021, A new study by researchers from the University of Victoria (CA) and Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines has found that working in wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species. Community-based whale shark tourism workers had more protectionist views, recognising the inherent value of wildlife, and were more likely to report positive changes in their attitudes and behaviours to protect whale sharks.
Read MoreBaby whale shark discovery indicates Donsol and the Ticao-Burias Pass are important reproductive habitats for the endangered whale shark
Philippines, November 2020, A new scientific publication from LAMAVE and BFAR Region 5 reports the importance of Donsol and the Ticao-Burias Pass as a likely pupping ground and nursery area for the endangered whale shark.
Read MoreHand-feeding of endangered whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu changes diving behaviour and raises concerns over implications to their health
Philippines, 13 October 2020, A new study published in Scientific Reports finds that resident whale sharks have changed their diving behaviour in response to the hand-feeding activities (provisioning) used to attract the animals in the waters of barangay Tan-Awan, Oslob, Cebu, to allow tourism interaction. The study further investigates how these changes could have implications on the bioenergetics (flow and transformation of energy) of individual whale sharks frequently visiting the mass tourism site.
Read MoreSocial media is helping scientists put the rare and endangered ornate eagle ray on the world map
The Philippines, 9 October 2020, A new study has expanded the known distribution of the elusive ornate eagle ray by sourcing photographs from popular social media platforms. This citizen science‐sourced data shared by the public and analysed by scientists are contributing to the understanding of the vulnerability of this species, while also creating opportunities for conservation.
Read MoreLack of management intervention leads to increased injuries on endangered whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines
Oslob Cebu, 8 October 2020. A new study published by LAMAVE in the journal Aquatic Conservation, Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems this week, present the results of some of the work conducted since 2012 to assess the impacts of tourism activities on individual whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu
Read MoreA Day for Rays: World Manta Day 2020
This September 17th 2020 is the first Wolrd Manta Day - a dedicated a day to celebrate these beautiful, enigmatic and vulnerable species. Let’s get mantas trending! #WorldMantaDay
Read MoreFirst record of whale sharks getting cleaned by cleaner wrasse in the Indo-West Pacific
Philippines. 20 August 2020, A new study by LAMAVE reports the first documentation of whale sharks being cleaned by two species of wrasse in the Indo-West Pacific: the blue-streak cleaner wrasse and the moon wrasse. Cleaner fish usually remove parasites, dead tissue and mucus from their ‘clients’ and play an essential role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.
Read MoreFirst-of-its-kind Global Survey Reveals Sharks are depleted in the Philippines
Overall results indicate sharks are functionally extinct on many of the world’s reefs but hope remains if key conservation measures are employed.
Philippines, July 22, 2020 – A new landmark study published today in Nature by Global FinPrint reveals sharks are virtually absent on many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are too rare to fulfil their normal role in the ecosystem, otherwise referred to as “functionally extinct.”
Read MoreCitizen Scientists Help Identify 1,272 Marine Turtles in the Philippines
Divers and snorkelers have helped identify 1,272 endangered Green (Chelonia mydas) and Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) across the Philippines, simply by sharing their photographs. By doing so they’ve become what is known as citizen scientists.
Read MoreEcotourism Transforms Attitudes to marine conservation
A study has shown how ecotourism in the Philippines has transformed people’s attitudes towards marine conservation. Researchers from LAMAVE and University of Victoria in Canada visited three sites where tourists pay to swim with whale sharks in the wild. They interviewed a range of locals who work for the tour operators in Oslob, Donsol and Pintuyan, including fishers and ex-whale shark hunters.
Read MoreCollaborative efforts highlight the long-distance movements of whale sharks in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
The whale shark is a highly mobile species, broadly distributed, that can cross boundaries without anyone realising. A recent study in the Philippines highlighted the movement of whale sharks between one site in Palawan, and Malaysia and Indonesia. These results also highlighted the utility of the general public in collecting data for research programmes.
Read MoreControlling a whale shark mass tourism destination: new study investigates crowding and tourist expectations
A new scientific study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the University of Victoria (Canada) reveals that overcrowding is a significant issue for Oslob whale shark watching tours. The study presents management interventions aimed at improving the tourist experience and recommends reducing tourist numbers to 500 daily visitors….
Read MoreLAMAVE’s position on emerging whale shark tourism in Bohol
Whale shark tourism activities have emerged from Lila and Baclayon, Bohol where whale sharks are or were provisioned to facilitate tourism interactions. In line with the Philippines commitment to lead and promote sustainable tourism across South East Asia (UNEP/CMS/CoP12/doc.26.2.7), as well as the Vision and Mission of the Province of Bohol, where the province is an eco-cultural tourism destination committed to sound environmental management, LAMAVE does not support these initiatives.
Read MoreHow lasers and photographs are helping scientists study endangered turtles in the Philippines
One of the challenges for conservation biologists is how to collect information in the most minimally invasive way they can to minimise disturbance. A recent study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines used cameras and lasers to study population and growth rates of green turtles from a distance…
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