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Manta Ray Breaching. By: Lindsey Green. <http://www.arkive.org/manta-ray/manta-birostris/image-G123561.html>. How I Got Started. Georgia Aquarium Internship Alex: Mentor Designed proposal based on needed research information Constructed Manta Ray ethogram Recorded location of breaching.
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Manta Ray Breaching By: Lindsey Green <http://www.arkive.org/manta-ray/manta-birostris/image-G123561.html>.
How I Got Started • Georgia Aquarium Internship • Alex: Mentor • Designed proposal based on needed research information • Constructed Manta Ray ethogram • Recorded location of breaching
Background Alex • Taxonomy: • Manta birostris • Manta alfredi • Nandi • Manta sp. • Tallulah, Manta 3, and Manta 4 • Location: • 35 north and south latitude • Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, Madagascar, Thailand, China, and southern Japan • Manta Ray Captivity: • Georgia Aquarium, the Atlantis aquarium in Nassau, the Lisbon Oceanarium in Portugal, and the Osaka Kaiyukan and the Okinawa aquariums in Japan.
Background Continued • Research Conducted: • The Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research, Inc. • The Manta Sight Project in Australia • Manta Pacific Research Foundation • Age structure • Patterns in movement • Oceanographic conditions affecting habitat use • Population size • Reproduction <http://www.arkive.org/manta-ray/manta-birostris/image-G123561.html>.
Background Continued • Breaching: • When Manta Rays breaks the surface of the water and jumps out then dives back in as a result of feeding behavior • Whales, great white sharks, dolphins, marlin, mobula
Proposal • Questions: • Does Nandi breach after every meal when we meet at the aquarium? • Where does Nandi usually breach (referring to North, South, East, and West ends of the Ocean Voyager tank) Alex
Proposal • Hypothesis: • Nandi will have individualized habits, including breaching behavior. Nandi will breach most frequently at the south end of the tank after her feeding in the morning. Alex
Proposal • Methods: • Observe feeding at 10am or 2:30pm • Vary visits during the week to get a variety of data • Video tape every possible breach that Nandi does • Record location and observe orientation of how she breached on data sheet • Make a graph comparing time vs. location of breach
Results • Data Sheet • Go to Ethogram
Results Continued • Compiled Spread Sheet of Data
Reflection on the Hypothesis • Fail to reject the Hypothesis: • Location (south end of the tank) • After Feedings • Reject the Hypothesis: • Time of when Nandi Breached in the Afternoon Alex
Conclusions • Based on the data: • Nandi Breaches Frequently • Results from feeding behavior • Ex: barrel rolls • Nandi Breaches in the Afternoon • Nandi Breaches mostly at the South end of the tank • Results from this is where she finishes feeding • Depends if she wants to breach right away or wait • Nandi Breaches mostly after feedings • Results from her wanting to eat all of her food
The Value of these Results • Benefits research about Manta Rays • Considering not a lot is known about them • Better understanding of breaching behavior • Educates the public • Develops and further progresses the knowledge about manta rays • In the wild and captivity • Gives a future layout of an ethogram and data sheet for interns • Gives consistency in gathering data • Furthers the idea of possibly training the manta rays to breach on command
Bibliography • Alex Collier (Mentor) • Georgia Aquarium Interns’ past research (Kate Powell and Reina Hasagawa) • Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research, Inc. Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research, Inc., 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. <http://www.hamerhawaii.com/Main%20Web%20Pages/Education/Marine %20Life/Rays/manta_rays.htm>. • Information and Facts about Manta Rays. Mantaray World. Infoqis Publishing, Co., 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mantaray-world.com/>. • Larson, Keith W, and Jesus Eduardo Martinez Leyva. Waterbirds: The International Journal of Waterbird Biology. N.p.: Waterbird Society, 2007. JSTOR. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/4501852>. • "Manta ray." Arkive: Images of Life on Earth. Wildscreen and Arkive, 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.arkive.org/manta-ray/manta-birostris/image-G123561.html>. • "Manta Ray Research." The Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna. The Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna, 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. <http://marinemegafauna.org/mantarays/>. • Marshall, A., L. Compagno, and M. Bennett, Redescription of the genus Manta with resurrection of Manta alfredi (Krefft,1868) (Chondrichthyes; Myliobatoidei; Mobulidae). Zootaxa, 2009. • Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, Giuseppe, and Elizabeth V Hillyer. Copeia Vol. 1989, No. 3. N.p.: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), 1989. JSTOR. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1445487?&Search=yes&searchText =Breaching&searchText=anta&searchText=Ray&list=hide&searchUri= %2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DManta%2BRay%2BBreaching% 26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=2&ttl=3&returnArticleService=show FullText>.