Chapter 2 examines the diving behavior of oceanic manta rays at a remote archipelago off of Mexico’s Pacific coast using satellite archival tagging and opportunistic submersible observations. These findings suggest that management and conservation action can be applied effectively at local scales in addition to the international agreements that are typically relied upon for marine megafauna species. We find that oceanic manta populations exhibit philopatry within relatively restricted home ranges, and demonstrate little connectivity between both neighboring and distant populations. Chapter 1 uses a combination of satellite archival tagging, stable isotope analysis, and high-throughput genetic sequencing to examine the horizontal movements and population structure of oceanic manta rays (Manta birostris) in the Indo-Pacific. This dissertation seeks to fill several critical knowledge gaps in the spatial ecology and foraging behavior of mobulid rays in the Indo-Pacific. In the past decade, substantial declines in mobulid populations have been recorded in response to targeted fisheries and bycatch of these species in both commercial and artisanal fisheries. Major knowledge gaps remain in the biology and ecology of mobulid rays, often hindering effective management of these species. Manta and mobula rays (collectively mobulids) are planktivorous pelagic rays that have received little scientific attention in comparison to many other marine megafauna species.
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