Marine Action Research

Text by Emily Eaton | Images by Emily Eaton & Nakia Cullain

A WORLD WHERE MARINE LIFE & HUMANS THRIVE TOGETHER

The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) was founded in 2009 by renowned marine scientists Dr Andrea Marshall and Dr Simon Piece. The organisation was founded to conduct pioneering research on marine megafauna and to use scientific evidence to educate the public and government to influence long-lasting conservation strategies. Since then, many others have joined the team. The organisation has expanded to worldwide research, education, and outreach on marine megafauna conservation.

Our team has conducted pioneering research on sharks and rays, particularly manta rays and whale sharks, which has helped these species move towards global protection. These iconic animals are also excellent flagships for the marine environment.

Dr Marshall was the first person in the world to complete a PhD on manta rays. After her thesis, she stayed in Mozambique to spearhead the conservation of manta rays in the region and around the world. She is the lead author of the IUCN’s Red List assessments for both species of manta ray and is a member of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. Andrea featured in the BBC Natural World documentary Andrea: Queen of Mantas, as well as the broadcaster’s award-winning Trilogy ‘Sharks.

Dr Pierce founded MMF’s flagship research programme on whale sharks and is now studying these gentle giants in seven countries. His work on the population ecology and management of this iconic species has made him the world’s top whale shark conservation biologist. In 2016, Simon led a research team whose efforts resulted in whale sharks being recognised as globally endangered for the first time on the IUCN Red List.

MMF – MOZAMBIQUE

The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) began its work in Mozambique in 2003. Specifically, Dr Andrea Marshall, a cofounder of MMF, returned to Mozambique that year to conduct research on manta ray populations, motivated by a lack of data on them. This marked the start of their groundbreaking research and conservation efforts along the southern coastline.

Our primary objective in Mozambique is to safeguard the globally significant marine megafauna populations that occur in the Inhambane Province, stretching from the Save River in the north to Závora in the south, comprising roughly 20% of the Mozambican coastline and encompassing the iconic Bazaruto Seascape. The Inhambane Province coastline is rated by the IUCN as a Globally Outstanding marine conservation area and recognised as a potential World Heritage Site for UNESCO listing. These waters are important breeding areas for manta rays, humpback whales and a regular migratory corridor for endangered whale sharks and apex predators, including bull sharks, while potentially serving as the only spawning area for black marlin in the Western Indian Ocean.

This coastline has also been declared as an Important Marine Mammal Area by an IUCN special task force. Several species of dolphin are present, including the highly threatened humpback dolphin, and the Bazaruto Seascape is home to the last viable population of dugong in Africa. Five species of sea turtles use provincial waters or nest along these shores. A staggering number of understudied species also live along this coastline, particularly sharks and rays.

IMPORTANT SHARK AND RAY AREAS

MMF scientists have collected over a decade of elasmobranch sighting data during survey dives (up to 20 years in some regions). These data have enabled estimates of abundance and trends over time and identified several key aggregation sites and important habitats for our main focal species (manta rays and whale sharks). At the same time, our researchers collected abundance data on other shark and ray species encountered on survey dives.

In collaboration with partners from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Mozambique, All Out Africa, Mission Blue, SANparks, and the Oceanographic Research Institute South Africa, MMF researchers led four ISRA proposals in southern Mozambique. Our long-term sightings, aerial survey and tagging datasets were instrumental in the designation of these areas as ISRAs. The four areas span the Inhambane Province and include MMF’s main focal regions of Závora, Tofo Beach, Pomene and the Bazaruto Seascape. MMF scientists also contributed to the IUCN Red List reassessments of three species: Smalleye stingrays, pink whiprays and Indo-Pacific leopard sharks.

MANTA RAYS

Southern Mozambique is a recognised global hotspot for manta rays. Over the last 20 years we have documented the largest identified populations of both giant and reef manta rays in Africa. Both species aggregate in the coastal waters of the Inhambane Province, where the highest sightings are recorded. MMF scientists have authored over 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers on mobulid rays in Mozambique. Our manta ray data was used to support 4 IUCN Important Shark & Ray Area (ISRA) listings in the Western Indian Ocean MMF researcher and PhD candidate, Nakia Cullain, presented on the ‘Transboundary movements and site affinity of reef manta rays in southern Africa’ at the 7th Southern African Shark & Ray Symposium in Umhlanga, SA. MMF’s extensive research in Mozambique was a major factor that led to the legal protection of manta and devil rays by the Mozambican government in January 2021.

WHALE SHARKS

MMF’s research team have been studying whale sharks in Mozambique since 2005. Our work in Mozambique has clearly established that the country is a global hotspot for the species, with ~800 identified individuals. Our satellite tagging and photoidentification work on Mozambican whale sharks has shown that sharks move freely along the coast from the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) in the north to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in the south, and three sharks have been resighted in Tanzania. We have published 24 peer-reviewed papers on Mozambican whale sharks that detail aspects of their biology, ecology, and conservation.

ABOUT MAR

MAR Expeditions is generating important research on the movements and abundance of marine animals in Závora Bay, Mozambique, and beyond. The lab’s core research has focused on manta rays, humpback whales, nudibranchs, and artificial reef and wreck colonisation through on-land and underwater surveys since its establishment in 2009.

The mega and macrofauna in Závora Bay enjoy some of the most pristine, untouched reefs in the world. Manta rays, whale sharks and humpback whales thrive in the plankton-rich waters of coastal Mozambique. Humpbacks spend considerable time in Závora Bay during their annual migration and sharks and rays are found in high abundance throughout Mozambique and South Africa. However, despite the attraction to these charismatic species, marine life everywhere is growing increasingly vulnerable to unsustainable fishing practices, growing industrial development, pollution and climate change. MAR’s main goal is to generate critical and comprehensive data that will be used to conserve biodiversity and ensure that future generations can enjoy the stunning marine life of Mozambique and South Africa. MAR contributes to several national and international studies linked with conservation and wildlife/fisheries law.

WHY IS ZÁVORA IMPORTANT?

Závora, a remote fishing village in Mozambique’s Inhambane Province, is a vital sanctuary for a wide range of marine megafauna—including manta rays (Carpenter et al., 2022), humpback whales (Van Driessche et al., 2020), and several shark and ray species (O’Connor and Cullain, 2021). Závora Bay is home to 20 elasmobranch species year-round, all listed on the IUCN Red List as data deficient, threatened, or near threatened, with many facing declining population trends (O'Connor and Cullain, 2021).

Despite a staggering 99% decline in manta ray sightings in nearby Tofo (Venables et al., 2024), Závora remains a critical refuge for these animals—highlighting its value as a conservation priority (Carpenter et al., 2022). As manta ray populations continue to

By studying manta ray movements, behaviour, and habitat use in Závora, we aim to generate data that can inform targeted conservation strategies and enhance marine management efforts nationwide. Beyond its ecological value, Závora’s marine biodiversity also holds economic significance, particularly for sustainable tourism and fisheries. This project hopes to raise awareness of Závora’s unique ecosystem and to advocate for the establishment of a marine protected area (MPA) to ensure its long-term preservation. While increasingly recognised as a biodiversity hotspot, Závora’s full ecological importance is only just beginning to be understood.