Collaborative research puts mantas on the map in the Philippines
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— a new collaborative scientific study led by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and in cooperation with partners and the public has compiled a national population database for manta rays and has identified four hotspots for the species in the Philippines.
Read MoreCalling all creatives and conservationists! LAMAVE launches a new fellowship program and a photography prize
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— LAMAVE a marine conservation NGO, today announces the launch of a new initiative designed to support young Filipinos advocating for environmental conservation through impact media.
Read MoreThe Typhoon and the Seaweed Farmers
In December 2021, we launched a fundraiser asking you to support communities affected by Typhoon Odette including seaweed farmers in the remote island municipality of Cagayancillo, Palawan, Philippines. You responded and together we raised ~795,000PHP (~USD$15,000). In February of this year our team travelled to Cagayancillo to carry out the on-the-ground efforts. LAMAVE Director Sally Snow, shares an insight into the journey…
Read MoreExpedition Shark 6 is Coming your Way!
Experience the best diving that the Philippines has to offer while making an impact in marine conservation. Get this rare opportunity to be on the frontline of conservation alongside experts from LAMAVE studying one of the last shark havens in Southeast Asia. Join us for a 9-day expedition to the heart of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park this June 7 to 15, 2022!
Read MoreGood Luck Sue!
This year we say farewell to LAMAVE researcher Sue Ong as she sets out on new adventures. Sue has been part of the team since 2016 and made quite an impact during her time with us….
Read MoreWrapping up 2021, a year of change, challenges and impact!
2020 may have been the year the world changed but 2021 is the year we changed. Along with the rest of the world, our team was continuously tested and we had to adapt to new ways of operating as we navigated one of the worlds longest COVID-19 lockdowns. Despite the roadblocks, we found a way forward, something we could not have done without the dedication of our team, partners and supporters. Now, as the year draws to a close we take a look back on some of the things we achieved this year.
Read MoreKitakits Gonzo
The last two years brought about many changes at LAMAVE but one significant one was the departure of Gonzalo Araujo who stepped down from his role with LAMAVE in October 2020. Gonzo first joined the LAMAVE team in 2012, initially as a Project Leader for LAMAVE’s Cebu whale shark research project before becoming more invested in the leadership of the NGO.
Read MoreGaining support and recognition for women leadership in marine conservation
We are excited to share new opportunities received by our team in 2021 from Conservation Leadership Programme, National Geographic Society and Save Our Seas Foundation, which will not only advance LAMAVE’s conservation actions but are also supporting and building our leaders.
Read MoreNew study finds that working in wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species
Philippines. 22 March 2021, A new study by researchers from the University of Victoria (CA) and Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines has found that working in wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species. Community-based whale shark tourism workers had more protectionist views, recognising the inherent value of wildlife, and were more likely to report positive changes in their attitudes and behaviours to protect whale sharks.
Read MoreControlling a whale shark mass tourism destination: new study investigates crowding and tourist expectations
A new scientific study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the University of Victoria (Canada) reveals that overcrowding is a significant issue for Oslob whale shark watching tours. The study presents management interventions aimed at improving the tourist experience and recommends reducing tourist numbers to 500 daily visitors….
Read MoreLAMAVE’s position on emerging whale shark tourism in Bohol
Whale shark tourism activities have emerged from Lila and Baclayon, Bohol where whale sharks are or were provisioned to facilitate tourism interactions. In line with the Philippines commitment to lead and promote sustainable tourism across South East Asia (UNEP/CMS/CoP12/doc.26.2.7), as well as the Vision and Mission of the Province of Bohol, where the province is an eco-cultural tourism destination committed to sound environmental management, LAMAVE does not support these initiatives.
Read MoreHow lasers and photographs are helping scientists study endangered turtles in the Philippines
One of the challenges for conservation biologists is how to collect information in the most minimally invasive way they can to minimise disturbance. A recent study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines used cameras and lasers to study population and growth rates of green turtles from a distance…
Read MoreWhale sharks on the move in Southeast Asia highlight the need for further collaboration in the conservation of the species
Whale sharks tracked moving between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. For the first time researchers from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines have tracked whale sharks moving between the Philippines and Malaysia, and Indonesia, using satellite tags, photo-identification and citizen science…
Read MoreNew hope for sharks and rays as work begins on zoning Marine Protected Area
Palawan, Philippines, 10 May 2019 - Scientists from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) have set up an acoustic network to study shark and ray movements and habits in Cagayancillo….
Read MorePhilippines officially hosts world’s second largest known population of whale sharks
Philippines, March 3, 2019, The Philippines officially hosts the second-largest known population of whale sharks in the world according to Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a global online population catalogue used by scientists and the public. The Philippine population total, which now stands at >1,600 individual whale sharks…
Read MoreA new study reveals the impacts of whale shark mass tourism on the coral reefs in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.
The collaborative research among the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the University of Guam (UoG), and the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) shows that whale shark tourism in Tan-awan, Oslob, Philippines has led to degradation of the local coral reef ecosystem…
Read MoreDonsol attracts the Philippines largest whale sharks
A new scientific study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and Large Marine Vertebrate Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) has revealed that whale sharks in Donsol, Philippines are uncharacteristically larger than those found elsewhere in the Philippines…
Read MoreScientific study takes a deeper look into the reproduction of mobulid rays in the Philippines
A new scientific publication by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) was lead by researcher Joshua Rambahiniarison and aimed to determine life history and reproductive parameters for several mobulids caught in the Philippines to provide vital information on the sustainability of the exploitation and consumptive use of these megafauna, at the country level and worldwide.
Read MoreSatellite tag study reveals Philippine waters are incredibly important for endangered whale sharks
A new scientific study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE), Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) and Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) on satellite tracking juvenile whale sharks in the Philippines has been published in the journal Peer J. To date, it is the most complete tracking study of whale sharks in the country, with satellite tags deployed on different individuals in multiple sites.
Read MoreScientists in the Philippines tag the biggest tiger shark so far
Puerto Princesa, Philippines, June 12, 2018 – Scientists from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE), Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) and Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) have successfully tagged a 3.5-meter tiger shark and three grey reef sharks as part of a long-term study in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
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