The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) is a marine biology research and

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

nonprofit known for discovering, researching, and protecting large marine animals including

whale shark The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, D ...

manta ray Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular Pectoral fin#AnchPect ...

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...

whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...

s, and

dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...

MMF has permanent research & conservation sites in Mozambique, Australia, Indonesia, and Florida, as well as other temporary locations.

History

MMF was founded in 2009 by marine biologists

Andrea Marshall Andrea Marshall is a Marine biology, marine biologist known for wildlife conservation and research on large marine animals like manta rays & Whale shark, whale sharks. Marshall is co-founder and a principal scientist of the Marine Megafauna Found ...

and Simon J Pierce in Tofo Beach, Mozambique.

Discoveries, research, and conservation initiatives

* Developed new techniques to use photo identification and artificial intelligence to study and track populations of whale sharks and other marine animals. These are incorporated in

Citizen science Citizen science (CS) (similar to community science, crowd science, crowd-sourced science, civic science, participatory monitoring, or volunteer monitoring) is scientific research conducted with participation from the public (who are sometimes re ...

programs such as Sharkbook and

Manta Matcher Manta Matcher is a global online database for manta rays. It is one of the Wildbook Web applications developed by Wild Me, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in the United States, and was created in partnership with Andrea Marshall of the Mar ...

. * Discovered a new type of Manta, the "reef manta ray" (''Manta alfredi)'' * Led initiatives to add whale sharks, reef manta rays, and oceanic manta rays to the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

. * Established the Inhambane Province Hope Spot in collaboration with

Sylvia Earle Sylvia Alice Earle ( née Reade; born August 30, 1935) is an American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer. She has been a National Geographic explorer-in-residence since 1998. Earle was the first female chief scien ...

's Mission Blue * Documented the first sightings of the ornate eagle ray (''Aetomylaeus vespertilio)'' in the

Bazaruto Archipelago National Park The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) is a protected area in the Inhambane Province of Mozambique on the Bazaruto Archipelago. The park was proclaimed on 25 May 1971. It is off the coast of the Vilanculos and Inhassoro districts, covering ...

, Inhambane Province, Mozambique * Documented the first recorded sighting of a live Smalleye Stingray underwater in 2009 and then the first successful tag of "the World's biggest ocean stingray" in 2023. * Completed the first study of

South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...

manta ray population Luu, and created what was reported to be the first digital 3D manta ray model with the Digital Life Project and ANGARI Foundation. * Uncovered illegal Chinese fishing practices after a whale shark named "Hope" with a satellite tag tracked by MMF was killed in Galapagos. This incident resulted in expansion of the Marine Protected Zone around the Galapagos. * Created “Ocean Guardians” conservation education project in Mozambique recognized by UNESCO.

External links

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References

{{reflist Marine conservation organizations Wildlife conservation organizations Environmental organizations established in 2009