Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park

Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) in Komodo National Park exhibit distinct site affinities, with higher residency probabilities at remote southern sites like Manta Alley. Despite proximity, manta rays show strong preference for specific areas such as Karang Makassar and Mawan, which are only 5 km apart. Seasonal movements between Manta Alley and central sites (~35.5 km) were observed, with more rays traveling south to north. Female manta rays demonstrated greater mobility than males. The study, utilizing a decade-long photo-identification dataset (2013–2018), identified 1,085 individuals and noted that tourism growth correlated with increased dive boat activity at popular sites. Injuries from fishing gear and predation were documented in 8% of the population. This research provides foundational data for manta ray conservation, highlighting critical habitats and the need to mitigate tourism impacts.

Germanov, E. S., Pierce, S. J., Marshall, A. D., Hendrawan, I. G., Kefi, A., Bejder, L., & Loneragan, N. (2022). Residency, movement patterns, behavior and demographics of reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. PeerJ, 10, e13302. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13302