Manta rays, Lady Elliot Island, Coral Sea, Queensland, Australia

Description

In February 2012, CATS supported Dr Fabrice Jaine (UQ, Project Manta) on Lady Elliot Island. CATS modified the fin-clamp system (primarily designed for whale sharks) for the attachment on the smaller dorsal fin of manta rays. After the first field test, further adjustments were neccessary; the on-site support lead to a maximum in efficiency during the fieldwork. This little invasive attachment system provides a stable attachment method for motion sensitive archival tags, like the CATS-Diary.