Stingrays of Mozambique
Donation protected
Hi. I'm Jenny.
Finally at the age of 26, I'm about to embark on my life's dream: dedicating 100% of my being into conserving a marine creature in need of attention.
The Key Species of Interest?
I'll be focussing my studies on the predominant Stingray species in Mozambique;
- The Blotched Fantail Ray
- The Kuhl's Ray
- The Jenkin's Whiptail Ray
- The insanely rare Smalleye Stingray
- The Honeycomb Whiptail Ray
Where am I? I am in Tofo, Mozambique. In other words, right slap-bang in the middle of an under-researched yet globally recognised megafauna hot-spot.
How do I plan on doing this? For the first stage of research, I'll be looking at sighting data of the stingray species on the dive sites in Tofo. From this I can see if there is an preferred habitats, seasonality or segregation among these species.
Why? I will be working towards a masters and, given all goes well, a Ph.D in the ecology of this unique combination of wildly under-researched marine beauties.
What We Don't Know...
The social, feeding or reproductive behaviours of all the aforementioned stingray species.
What is the function of the Kuhl's ray's bright blue spots? Why is the Honeycomb Whipray's tail so long? How do the electro-receptors along the ridge of their disc help them hunt their invertebrate prey?
The small-eye sting ray is the largest stingray in the world, 2.2m recorded (I swear I've seen bigger!), previously thought to be extinct. It's data deficient on the IUCN Redlist. We don't know it's full territory or range. Why is it so big? Population dynamics? Social traits? Reproductive cycle? Relativity to other rays? How ancient? Migratory? Does it need conservation efforts?
There's so much to find out.
The Plea...
It is my goal to undergo a research project to discover the secret lives of these charming pancake fish.
If we don't understand these species, we lose the species. To fishing, plastic, acidification, to temperature change.
Here in Tofo, there is work to be done to benefit the world of science, and this entire blue planet.
Personally, I could not bear to live in a world without these incredible species existing due to human action (or inaction).
Please, please help me help them.
Even just a couple of quid will help, anything that you can afford
Where Will the Money Go?
£10 = Resources for a school 'Conservation Fun Day'
£25 = One colour tag to mark individual rays
£50 = Transport, resources and food for a conservation-awareness school trip
£75 = Double dive with Tofo SCUBA, Tofo
£100 = Transport and dive in Zavora
£115 = Garmin GPS unit
£400 = Underwater camera for ID shots
£1,500 = Underwater acoustic station to track tagged animals
£4,500 = Master of Science by Research Degree at a UK university
Get up to Date with the Research!
If you would like an insight into life in Mozambique, the research I will be conducting and other interesting tid-bits, please refer to my blog website (Epiphany Jenny )
Finally at the age of 26, I'm about to embark on my life's dream: dedicating 100% of my being into conserving a marine creature in need of attention.
The Key Species of Interest?
I'll be focussing my studies on the predominant Stingray species in Mozambique;
- The Blotched Fantail Ray
- The Kuhl's Ray
- The Jenkin's Whiptail Ray
- The insanely rare Smalleye Stingray
- The Honeycomb Whiptail Ray
Where am I? I am in Tofo, Mozambique. In other words, right slap-bang in the middle of an under-researched yet globally recognised megafauna hot-spot.
How do I plan on doing this? For the first stage of research, I'll be looking at sighting data of the stingray species on the dive sites in Tofo. From this I can see if there is an preferred habitats, seasonality or segregation among these species.
Why? I will be working towards a masters and, given all goes well, a Ph.D in the ecology of this unique combination of wildly under-researched marine beauties.
What We Don't Know...
The social, feeding or reproductive behaviours of all the aforementioned stingray species.
What is the function of the Kuhl's ray's bright blue spots? Why is the Honeycomb Whipray's tail so long? How do the electro-receptors along the ridge of their disc help them hunt their invertebrate prey?
The small-eye sting ray is the largest stingray in the world, 2.2m recorded (I swear I've seen bigger!), previously thought to be extinct. It's data deficient on the IUCN Redlist. We don't know it's full territory or range. Why is it so big? Population dynamics? Social traits? Reproductive cycle? Relativity to other rays? How ancient? Migratory? Does it need conservation efforts?
There's so much to find out.
The Plea...
It is my goal to undergo a research project to discover the secret lives of these charming pancake fish.
If we don't understand these species, we lose the species. To fishing, plastic, acidification, to temperature change.
Here in Tofo, there is work to be done to benefit the world of science, and this entire blue planet.
Personally, I could not bear to live in a world without these incredible species existing due to human action (or inaction).
Please, please help me help them.
Even just a couple of quid will help, anything that you can afford
Where Will the Money Go?
£10 = Resources for a school 'Conservation Fun Day'
£25 = One colour tag to mark individual rays
£50 = Transport, resources and food for a conservation-awareness school trip
£75 = Double dive with Tofo SCUBA, Tofo
£100 = Transport and dive in Zavora
£115 = Garmin GPS unit
£400 = Underwater camera for ID shots
£1,500 = Underwater acoustic station to track tagged animals
£4,500 = Master of Science by Research Degree at a UK university
Get up to Date with the Research!
If you would like an insight into life in Mozambique, the research I will be conducting and other interesting tid-bits, please refer to my blog website (Epiphany Jenny )
Organizer
Jenny Keeping
Organizer
