Collect valuable data on manta rays, which have rarely been studied, and cooperate in building a foundation for long-term monitoring of their habitat.
Looking to the future, manta rays could become an excellent indicator species for monitoring environmental changes in the world's oceans and coral reefs, due to their global distribution and easily recognizable appearance. Global warming has caused significant changes in the state of the Earth's oceans. All changes, including shifts in sea temperature, ocean current patterns, and ocean acidification, could have dramatic effects on the distribution, migration, and behavior of manta rays, as well as on the coral reefs that support their lives. Investigating the relationship between manta ray distribution and migration and large-scale oceanic changes will help researchers monitor and assess the health of the oceans on our planet.