RT journal article
T1 Evidence of Zavora Bay as a critical site for reef manta rays, Mobula alfredi, in southern Mozambique
A1 Carpenter, Michelle
A1 Cullain, Nakia
A1 Venables, Stephanie Kathleen
A1 Junqueira de Azevedo Tibirica, Yara
A1 Griffiths, Charles
A1 Marshall, Andrea Denise
A2 Biología
K1 mark recapture
K1 Mobulidae
K1 photo-ID
K1 population demography
K1 robust design
K1 southern Africa
AB The largest known reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) population in Africa has been monitored for more than 20 years at several locations on the coast of the Inhambane Province in southern Mozambique. Nonetheless, before this study, little had been reported on the population dynamics of M. alfredi from Zavora, a remote bay in the region. Photographic mark-recapture was used to investigate the size and structure of M. alfredi that aggregate at "Red Sands," a reef cleaning station in Zavora Bay. An 11 year photographic data set was used to identify 583 M. alfredi individuals between 2010 and 2021. More than half of M. alfredi individuals were resighted at least once, with most encounters (up to 18 for one individual) occurring during the peak sighting period in July-November each year. An even sex ratio was observed, 44% females and 50% males, with no significant difference in resightings between the sexes. Pollock's robust design population models were used to estimate annual abundance, emigration, annual apparent survival and capture probability at Red Sands from July to November over a 6 year period (2016-2021). Abundance estimates varied year to year, ranging from 35 (95% c.i. [30, 45]) up to 233 (95% c.i. [224, 249]) M. alfredi individuals. Given the seasonal affinity of M. alfredi observed at Red Sands, this study highlights the importance of understanding fine-scale site use within the larger home range of this population to develop local management strategies.
PB Willey
SN 1095-8649
YR 2022
FD 2022-09
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/27765
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/27765
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 15-nov-2026