Since 2011, The Manta Trust has been actively conducting, collaborating on, and contributing to research focused on manta and devil rays. Over the years, our research endeavours have significantly expanded, reflecting our ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge in this field.

Our researchers, lead authors, and contributors have played pivotal roles in over 100 publications, collectively garnering a readership exceeding 100,000. Beyond our academic achievements, our work has been featured more than 225 times in global news and media outlets, including National Geographic Magazine, the Guardian, Forbes, BBC, and more.

Published across 35 different journals, such as Nature, Frontiers in Marine Science, PeerJ and Springer, our publications offer a diverse and influential perspective. Delve into these scientific insights to join us in our mission, to ensure the sustainable future of manta and devil rays through informed conservation practices.

Click the links below to browse our publications archive.



2024

Insular and mainland interconnectivity in the movements of oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) of Mexico in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

November 2024

Robert D. Rubin, Katherine R. Kumli, A. Peter Klimley, Joshua D. Stewart, James T. Ketchum, Edgar M. Hoyos‑Padilla, Felipe Galván‑Magaña, Aldo A. Zavala‑Jiménez + 8 authors

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Length-weight Relationship of the Endangered Devil Ray Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1778) off Gulf of Mannar, India

October 2024

T. Mohanraj, T. Jebarani Rajathy, Guy Stevens, Daniel Fernando & Shunmugavel Chinnadurai

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Oceanic manta rays aggregating near a major population center have far higher injury rates than at an offshore protected area

October 2024

P. Santiago Dominguez-Sanchez, Aldo Zavala-Jimenez, Iliana Fonseca-Ponce, Katherine R. Kumli, Robert D. Rubin & Joshua D. Stewart

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Get them off the deck: Straightforward interventions increase post-release survival rates of manta and devil rays in tuna purse seine fisheries

September 2024

Joshua D. Stewart, Melissa R. Cronin, Erick Largacha, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Jon Lopez, Martin Hall, Melanie Hutchinson, Emma G. Jones, Malcolm Francis + 4 authors

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A review of elasmobranch breaching behavior: why do sharks and rays propel themselves out of the water into the air?

August 2024

A. Peter Klimley, Tobey H. Curtis, Emmett M. Johnston, Alison Kock & Guy M. W. Stevens

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Evidence of environmental niche separation between threatened mobulid rays in Aotearoa New Zealand: Insights from species distribution modelling

June 2024

Rikako Ozaki, Fabrice Stephenson, Matthew Pinkerton, Brittany Finucci, Lydia Green, Alice Della Penna & Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka

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Individual flexibility in group foraging behaviour of reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi)

June 2024

Annie Murray, Raphaël Royauté, Guy M. W. Stevens, Callum Roberts & Kathryn E. Arnold

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Bycatch mitigation from the sky: using helicopter communication for Mobulid conservation in tropical tuna fisheries

March 2024

Jennifer L. Waldo,  Ernesto Altamirano-Nieto, Donald Croll, Marta D. Palacios, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Jon Lopez, Gala Moreno, Stefany Rojas-Perea & Melissa R. Cronin 

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Remote hideaways: first insights into the population sizes, habitat use and residency of manta rays at aggregation areas in Seychelles

February 2024

Lauren R. Peel, Mark G. Meekan, Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating, Shaun P. Collin, Josep Nogués & Guy M. W. Stevens 

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Spatiotemporal variations in reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) residency at a remote meso-scale habitat and its importance in future spatial planning

February 2024

Joanna L. Harris, Phil Hosegood, Clare B. Embling, Benjamin J. Williamson & Guy M. W. Stevens

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Rays in the Shadows: Batoid Diversity, Occurrence, and Conservation Status in Fiji

January 2024

Kerstin Glaus, Luke Gordon, Tom Vierus, Natasha D. Marosi and Helen Sykes

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2023

Comparative population genomics of manta rays has global implications for management

November 2023

Emily Humble, Jane Hosegood, Gary Carvalho, Mark de Bruyn, Simon Creer, Guy M. W. Stevens, Amelia Armstrong, Ramon Bonfil, Mark Deakos, Daniel Fernando, Niv Froman, Lauren R. Peel + 5 authors

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Reproductive behavior, seasonality, and distribution of three devil ray species (Mobula mobular, M. thurstoni, and M. munkiana) in the Southern Gulf of California, Mexico

November 2023

Marta D. Palacios, Abel Trejo-Ramírez, Sidharta Velázquez-Hernández, Scarlett A. K. Huesca-Mayorga, Joshua D. Stewart, Melissa R. Cronin, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Kelly M. Zilliacus, Rogelio + 3 authors

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Insight into manta ray behaviour using animal-borne Crittercams

October 2023

Nicole A. Pelletier, Anna M. Knochel, Joshua D. Stewart, Niv Froman, Taylor R. Smith, Greg Marshal, Kyler Abernathy, Julie Hawkins & Guy M.W. Stevens

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Intraspecific differences in short- and long-term foraging strategies of reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) in the Chagos Archipelago

September 2023

Joanna L. Harris, Clare B. Embling, Genevieve Alexander, David Curnick, Ronan Roche, Niv Froman, Marleen Stuhr, Elaine S. Fileman, Simon Hilbourne, Rebecca Carter, Annie Murray + 2 authors

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Occupancy of acoustically tagged oceanic manta rays, Mobula birostris, in Bahia de Banderas, Mexico

September 2023

P. Santiago Domínguez-Sánchez, Ana Širović, Iliana A. Fonseca-Ponce, Aldo A. Zavala-Jiménez, Robert D. Rubin, Katherine R. Kumli, James T. Ketchum, Felipe Galván-Magaña + 2 authors

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Manta and devil ray aggregations: conservation challenges and developments in the field

April 2023

Marta D. Palacios, Joshua D. Stewart, Donald A. Croll, Melissa R. Cronin, Abel Trejo-Ramírez, Guy M. W. Stevens, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Kelly M. Zilliacus, Rogelio González−Armas + 2 authors

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2022

The influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation on the population dynamics of oceanic manta rays in the Mexican Pacific

November 2022

Madalena Cabral, Joshua Stewart, Tiago A. Marques, James T Ketchum, Arturo Ayala-Bocos, Edgar Mauricio, Hoyos Padilla & Héctor Reyes-Bonill

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Demographics and dynamics of the world’s largest known population of oceanic manta rays Mobula birostris in coastal Ecuador

November 2022

Kanina Harty, Michel Guerrero, Anna M. Knochel, Guy M. W. Stevens, Andrea Marshall, Katherine Burgess & Joshua D. Stewart

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Policy and transparency gaps for oceanic shark and rays in high seas tuna fisheries

October 2022

Melissa R. Cronin, Julia E. Amaral, Alexis M. Jackson, Jennifer Jacquet, Katherine L. Seto & Donald A. Croll

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Exploring the genetic diversity and population structure of Mobula birostris in two key aggregation zones in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

October 2022

Karla E. Rojas López, Juan José Guadalupe, Milton Gordillo-Romero, Andrea Montero-Oleas, Diana A. Pazmiño, Michel Guerrero & Maria de Lourdes Torres

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Crowdsourced data reveal multinational connectivity, population demographics, and possible nursery ground of endangered oceanic manta rays in the Red Sea

September 2022

Anna M. Knochel, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Alexander Kattan, Guy M. W. Stevens, Elke Bojanowksi & Michael L. Berumen

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Harnessing stakeholder knowledge for the collaborative development of Mobulid bycatch mitigation strategies in tuna fisheries

June 2022

Melissa R Cronin, Donald A Croll, Martin A Hall, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Jon Lopez, Hilario Murua, Jefferson Murua, Victor Restrepo, Stefany Rojas-Perea, Joshua D Stewart + 2 authors

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Manta and devil ray species occurrence and distribution in Venezuela, assessed through fishery landings and citizen science data

May 2022

Nicolás Ehemann, Edilia Acosta-Rodríguez, Alejandro Tagliafico, Nicole Pelletier & Guy Stevens

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Sublethal Injuries and Physical Abnormalities in Maldives Manta Rays, Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris

March 2022

Elspeth M. Strike, Joanna L. Harris, Kirsty L. Ballard, Julie P. Hawkins, Jennifer Crockett & Guy M. W. Stevens

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Evidence of fine-scale genetic structure for reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in New Caledonia

March 2022

Hugo Lassauce, Christine L. Dudgeon, Amelia J. Armstrong, Laurent Wantiez & Emma L. Carroll

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2021

Reef manta rays forage on tidally driven, high density patches in Hanifaru Bay, Maldives

August 2021

Asia O. Armstrong​, Guy M.W. Stevens, Kathy A. Townsend, Annie Murray, Michael B. Bennett, Amelia J. Armstrong, Julian Uribe-Palomino, Phil Hosegood, Christine L. Dudgeon & Anthony J. Richardson

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A hitchhiker guide to manta rays: Patterns of association between Mobula alfredi, M. birostris, their symbionts, and other fishes in the Maldives

July 2021

Aimee E. Nicholson-Jack, Joanna L. Harris, Kirsty Ballard, Katy M. E. Turner & Guy M. W. Stevens

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Quantifying the Effects of Diver Interactions on Manta Ray Behavior at Their Aggregation Sites

June 2021

Miguel de Jesús Gómez-García, María del Carmen Blázquez-Moreno, Joshua David Stewart, Vianey Leos-Barajas, Iliana Araceli Fonseca-Ponce, Aldo Alfonso Zavala-Jiménez + 2 authors

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Mutualism promotes site selection in a large marine planktivore

March 2021

Asia O. Armstrong, Amelia J. Armstrong, Michael B. Bennett, Anthony J. Richardson, Kathy A. Townsend, Jason D. Everett, Graeme C. Hays, Hugh Pederson & Christine L. Dudgeon

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Fine scale oceanographic drivers of reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) visitation patterns at a feeding aggregation site

March 2021

Joanna L. Harris, Phil Hosegood, Edward Robinson, Clare B. Embling, Simon Hilbourne & Guy M. W. Stevens

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Motivations for compliance in Peruvian manta ray fisheries

February 2021

Lucie Guirkingera, Stefany Rojas-Perea, Isabel Ender, Mark Ramsden, Charley Lenton-Lyons & Jonas Geldmann

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Description of first nursery area for a pygmy devil ray species (Mobula munkiana) in the Gulf of California, Mexico

January 2021

Marta D. Palacios, Edgar M. Hoyos-Padilla, Abel Trejo-Ramírez, Donald A. Croll, Felipe Galván-Magaña, Kelly M. Zilliacus, John B. O’Sullivan, James T. Ketchum & Rogelio González-Armas

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2020

Spatio-temporal distribution of the spinetail devil ray Mobula mobular in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean

December 2020

Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Jon Lopez, Martin Hall, Pascal Bach, Francisco Abascal & Hilario Murua

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Predicting mobulid ray distribution in coastal areas of Lesser Sunda Seascape: Implication for spatial and fisheries management 

December 2020

Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, Edy Setyawan, Betty J. L. Laglbauer, Sarah Lewis, Dharmadi Dharmadi, Abraham Sianipar & Isabel Ender

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Satellite tagging and photographic identification reveal connectivity between two UNESCO World Heritage Areas for reef manta rays

August 2020

Amelia J. Armstrong, Asia O. Armstrong, Frazer McGregor, Anthony J. Richardson, Michael B. Bennett, Kathy A. Townsend, Graeme C. Hays, Mike van Keulen, Jessica Smith & Christine L. Dudgeon

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Regional Movements of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula alfredi) in Seychelles Waters 

July 2020

Lauren R. Peel, Guy M. W. Stevens, Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating Daly, Shaun P. Collin, Josep Nogués & Mark G. Meekan 

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Assessing the impact of regulations on the use and trade of wildlife: An operational framework, with a case study on manta rays

June 2020

Hollie Booth, Simon Pooley, Tom Clements, Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, W. Peni Lestari, Sarah Lewis, Luke Warwick & E.J. Milner-Gullanda

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Individual variation in residency and regional movements of reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in a large marine protected area

April 2020

Samantha Andrzejaczek, Taylor K. Chapple, David J. Curnick, Aaron B. Carlisle, Michael Castleton, David M. P. Jacoby, Lauren R. Peel, Robert J. Schallert, David M. Tickler & Barbara A. Block

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Immature individuals dominate elasmobranch fisheries of the Bali Strait

March 2020

Sara Tabea Winter, Fahmi, Didik Rudianto, Betty J. L. Laglbauer C, Isabel Ender & Colin A. Simpfendorfer

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The geographic distribution of reef and oceanic manta rays (Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris) in Australian coastal waters

January 2020

Amelia J. Armstrong, Asia O. Armstrong, Michael B. Bennett, Frazer McGregor, Kátya G. Abrantes, Adam Barnett, Anthony J. Richardson, Kathy A. Townsend & Christine L. Dudgeon

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2019

Novel applications of animal-borne Crittercams reveal thermocline feeding in two species of manta ray

December 2019

Joshua D. Stewart, Taylor T. R. Smith, Greg Marshall, Kyler Abernathy, Iliana A. Fonseca-Ponce, Niv Froman & Guy M. W. Stevens

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Taxonomic status, biological notes, and conservation of the longhorned pygmy devil ray Mobula eregoodoo (Cantor, 1849)

November 2019

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Sylvain Adnet, Mike Bennett, Matt K. Broadhurst, Daniel Fernando, Rima W. Jabado, Betty J.L. Laglbauer & Guy Stevens

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Stable isotope analyses reveal unique trophic role of reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) at a remote coral reef

September 2019

Lauren R. Peel, Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating Daly, Guy M. W. Stevens, Shaun P. Collin & Mark G. Meekan

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Protecting the million-dollar mantas; creating an evidence-based code of conduct for manta ray tourism interactions

September 2019

Annie Murray, Eleanor Garrud, Isabel Ender, Katie Lee-Brooks, Rebecca Atkins, Rebecca Lynam, Kathryn Arnold, Callum Roberts, Julie Hawkins & Guy Stevens

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Preliminary insights into the population characteristics and distribution of reef (Mobula alfredi) and oceanic (M. birostris) manta rays in French Polynesia

September 2019

Alice S. Carpentier, Ce´cile Berthe, Isabel Ender, Fabrice R. A. Jaine, Johann Mourier, Guy Stevens, Moeava De Rosemont & Eric Clua

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Environmental characteristics associated with the presence of the Spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular) in the eastern tropical Pacific

August 2019

Nerea Lezama-Ochoa , Martin A. Hall, Maria Grazia Pennino, Joshua D. Stewart,Jon López & Hilario Murua

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Movement and residency patterns of reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in the Amirante Islands, Seychelles

July 2019

Lauren R. Peel, Guy M. W. Stevens, Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating Daly, James S. E. Lea, Christopher R. Clarke, Shaun P. Collin & Mark G. Meekan

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2018


2017

Trophic overlap in mobulid rays: Insights from stable isotope analysis

October 2017

Joshua D. Stewart, Christoph A. Rohner, Gonzalo Araujo, Jose Avila, Daniel Fernando, Kerstin Forsberg, Alessandro Ponzo, Joshua M. Rambahiniarison, Carolyn M. Kurle & Brice X. Semmens

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Mobulid rays feed on euphausiids in the Bohol Sea

May 2017

Christoph A. Rohner, Katherine B. Burgess, Joshua M.Rambahiniarison, Joshua D.Stewart, Alessandro Ponzo & Anthony J. Richardson

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Sympathy for the devil: a conservation strategy for devil and manta rays

March 2017

Julia M. Lawson, Sonja V. Fordham, Mary P. O’Malley, Lindsay N.K. Davidson, Rachel H.L. Walls, Michelle R. Heupel, Guy Stevens, Daniel Fernando, Ania Budziak, Colin A. Simpfendorfer + 4 authors

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2016

Are mantas self aware or simply social? A response to Ari and D’Agostino 2016

October 2016

Joshua D. Stewart, Guy M. W. Stevens, Greg J. Marshall & Kyler Abernathy

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Deep-water feeding and behavioral plasticity in Manta birostris revealed by archival tags and submersible observations

October 2016

Joshua D. Stewart, Edgar Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Katherine R. Kumli & Robert D. Rubin

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Spatial ecology and conservation of Manta birostris in the Indo-Pacific

August 2016

Joshua D.Stewart, Calvin S.Beale, Daniel Fernando, Abraham B.Sianipar, Ronald S.Burton, Brice X. Semmens & Octavio Aburto-Oropeza

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Characterization of the trade in manta and devil ray gill plates in China and South-east Asia through trader surveys

June 2016

Mary p. O'Malley, Kathy A. Townsend, Paul Hilton, Shawn Heinrichs & Joshua D. Stewart

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2015

A dated molecular phylogeny of manta and devil rays (Mobulidae) based on mitogenome and nuclear sequences

February 2015

Marloes Poortvliet, Jeanine L. Olsen, Donald A. Croll, Giacomo Bernardi, Kelly Newton, Spyros Kollias, John O’Sullivan, Daniel Fernando, Guy Stevens, Felipe Galván Magaña, Bernard Seret + 2 authors

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2013

Manta alfredi target multispecies surgeonfish spawning aggregations

March 2013

J. A. Hartup, A. Marshell, G. Stevens, M. Kottermair & P. Carlson

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2011

Extent and Economic Value of Manta Ray Watching in Maldives

January 2011

Anderson, R. Charles; Adam, M. Shiham; Kitchen-Wheeler, Anne-Marie & Stevens, Guy

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