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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Spatial Ecology of the Population of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula alfredi) in New Caledonia Using Satellite Telemetry 2—Vertical Behaviour
Fishes, Vol.10(11), pp.1-22
2025
Abstract
In the dynamic and increasingly threatened marine environment, understanding the full spatial ecology of species like the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) is crucial for effective conservation. While typically considered a shallow-water species, reef manta rays in New Caledonia were investigated to explore their vertical habitat use. This study utilized satellite telemetry data from 19 tagged individuals, with three tags providing sufficiently high-resolution information on dive behaviour, to describe and quantify three-dimensional movements. We found that New Caledonian reef manta rays exhibit outstanding deep-diving capabilities, with all individuals diving below 300 m and one reaching 672 m. These deep dives occurred regularly, averaging one every 4.8 days, which is notably more frequent than in other studied populations. Dive profile analysis revealed a mixture of foraging and exploratory behaviors, supporting the hypothesis that these deep excursions are driven by the search for demersal or mesopelagic food resources. Our findings highlight the ecological plasticity of M. alfredi and demonstrate that their habitat use extends far beyond the coastal, shallow waters previously assumed, a critical consideration for developing comprehensive and effective marine protected areas.
Details
- Title
- Spatial Ecology of the Population of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula alfredi) in New Caledonia Using Satellite Telemetry 2—Vertical Behaviour
- Authors
- Hugo Lassauce (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringOlivier Chateau - Aquarium Des Lagons (New Caledonia)Laurent Wantiez - University of New Caledonia
- Publication details
- Fishes, Vol.10(11), pp.1-22
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.3390/fishes10110545
- ISSN
- 2410-3888
- Copyright note
- © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- We have presented extensive data generated by this study in the tables and Supplementary Materials. Contact the corresponding authors for further requests.
- Grant note
- We express particular thanks to the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF), which funded the study through the SATO YAMA UMI Project and Conservation International. We thank the Southern Province of New Caledonia for its financial support in the form of a scholarship to HL. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of MAC3 Impact Philanthropies, William Brooks, Pam Rorke Levy, Audrey and Shannon Wong, Daniel Roozen and Kris Norvig in sponsoring satellite tags, and we thank OceanMax for supplying the Propspeed antifouling coating for our tags.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991192245202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Fisheries
- Marine & Freshwater Biology
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