The word data doesn’t exactly spark excitement for most people. But, mention a database packed with raw data, ready for analysis, to a scientist and watch as their eyes light up. To them data isn't just numbers, it is a story waiting to be told. The issue is that data is often time consuming and expensive to obtain. Here is where the genius of citizen science comes into play. What is citizen science? Citizen science gives you the opportunity to help gather, analyze or report invaluable scientific information. If you are part of the Snorkel Venture community odds are you are a big fan of spending time out in nature. Many of our guests are often extremely well travelled and are lucky enough to have spent time with some of the rarest of species, in remote environments. For a research team to fund and organize a trip to such places, to study such species often takes years of fund raising and planning. Citizen science allows us to skip this step. Handing over data from you, the public, straight to the people that need it most. Manta Trust A magnificent example of citizen science in action is a method used by one of Snorkel Venture’s charity partners, Manta Trust. Manta Trust is a charity that researches, advocates for and protects manta and devil rays world wide. Manta and devil rays (known as Mobulid rays) are widely dispersed and species like the oceanic manta are known to travel hundreds of miles across open ocean. Therefore obtaining information regarding the movement patterns of these rays can be tricky. This is where we need your help. If you have ever been lucky enough to spend time with Mobulids in the wild you may have noticed their spotty underbellies as they barrel roll
The word data doesn’t exactly spark excitement for most people. But, mention a database packed with raw data, ready for analysis, to a scientist and watch as their eyes light up. To them data isn’t just numbers, it is a story waiting to be told. The issue is that data is often time consuming and
A favorite conversation on our trips is, “What’s your favorite species to snorkel with?” It’s a question that often sparks friendly debates, storytelling, and a shared sense of wonder at just how much of the ocean remains for us to explore. Unsurprisingly, the answers to this question vary hugely. Some prefer microscopic species, others the camouflaged creatures you can barely see, while some are in it for the coral and others prefer the big stuff, like whales and sharks! Yet despite these different preferences, there’s one thing all snorkelers share: the sense of connection to nature that snorkeling gives us. It takes us out of our everyday lives and puts us smack bang in the middle of a natural ecosystem. No animal quite matches this feeling of connection like the manta ray. Having a manta ray barrel roll inches from your face or glide past you like a spaceship is an encounter that never fails to leave people in absolute awe. Manta Ray Depth Depends On Behavior How deep a manta ray swims depends largely on what it's doing. When traveling between feeding and mating sites, manta rays can cover huge distances and dive surprisingly deep, up to 4,000 feet. These deep dives allow them to collect topographical data that helps them navigate the big blue. When it's time to eat, however, mantas stay much closer to the surface, usually within the top 160 feet of water. As filter feeders, they eat plankton, which is most abundant in these shallower depths. One easy way to spot a feeding manta is by looking at its cephalic lobes: the horn-like extensions beside its mouth. When feeding, these unfurl to funnel plankton rich water straight into their mouths.Another reason manta rays find themselves in the shallows is bath time! Mantas can't remove stubborn
A favorite conversation on our trips is, “What’s your favorite species to snorkel with?” It’s a question that often sparks friendly debates, storytelling, and a shared sense of wonder at just how much of the ocean remains for us to explore. Unsurprisingly, the answers to this question vary hugely. Some prefer microscopic species, others the
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