Drone footage shot off Palm Beach, Florida by photographer Ivy Yin of Our Children’s Earth Foundation shows footage of a potentially new species of manta ray. Yin sent the footage to Dr. Andrea Marshall, co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, and a scientist who studies manta rays off the Florida coast. Not only does she believe this to be a new species of manta ray, but also that the coast of Florida around Palm Beach could serve as a nursery for this species.

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Through a manta ray tagging program, scientists have recently confirmed the location of a manta ray nursery in southeast asia’s Wayag Lagoon of Raja Ampat. Conservation International, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, S.E.A. Aquarium, and Manta Trust have been fitting manta rays in southeast asia with satellite tags since 2014. They are just now learning the secrets of the manta rays of this area.

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Wetpixel Senior Moderator Shawn Heinrichs has premiered his new film on Vimeo. Entitled “Mantas Last Dance”, the film serves as a finale to the Manta Ray of Hope Campaign. This aims to raise awareness to the plight manta rays prior to the CITES meeting, which begins this weekend. At the meeting, 177 member nations will vote on whether to grant international protection to certain highly threatened and endangered species, which for the first time this year, includes manta rays. There is a petition that needs your support to pressurize the CITES delegates into protecting these animals so if you haven’t done so yet, please sign now.

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