Donsol 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 MoreSalamat Apo
Another day on the island. 5:30 am and the sun is already peeping through the palms and colouring the sky with the softest tones. The water is looking serene and undisturbed, it is holding in its transparency all the secrets of the amazing reef we are lucky to call a survey area. We prepare and leave home walking among the same familiar smiles that give us their ‘maayong buntag’ (good morning) when we pass by…
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 MoreLAMAVE Researcher Sue Ong gives us the low down on #IMCC5 in Kuching, Malaysia
Sue Ong, is a LAMAVE Project Leader, currently based on Apo Island, Negros Oriental. Originally from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, Sue shares her experience of attending her first-ever International Conference and why she is determined to pursue conservation goals in the Philippines. Here's what the passionate conservationist had to share...
Read MoreLAMAVE Re-joins the Sirens Fleet for a Special liveaboard trip this January 2019.
LAMAVE will once again board the Philippine Siren for a special liveaboard trip around the Visayas in the Philippines. The trip which will run between the 9-19 of January 2019 will take divers to some of the best sites in the Philippines while also offering guests the opportunity to assist LAMAVEs research on whale sharks, manta rays and turtles.
Read MoreLAMAVE partners with Plymouth University to engage students in Marine Conservation
We are delighted to be one of a number of research-based NGO's partnering with the University of Plymouth through the Ocean Giants Trust, to offer exciting new opportunities for marine biology students.
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.
Read MoreLAMAVE joins forces with Liveaboard Solitude One for an exclusive Research Expedition in the Sulu Sea
This September 2018, Solitude One, a liveaboard company dedicated to bringing divers exotic underwater encounters will host LAMAVE researchers and the public on an exclusive research expedition to Cagaynacillo in the Philippines.
Read MoreA Biologist's Elegy
After three months flicking through slide after slide of the same three hundred or so whale sharks, you wonder about the delicate dictation of genes that shape the subtle nuances between phenotypes. Some of their patterns are remarkably similar, different in only the breadth of a stripe here or the completeness of a circle there. Others are perhaps distorted reflections of another…
Read MoreLAMAVE celebrates Month of the Ocean (MOO) with DENR and partners
May 4, 2018, Apo Island, Negros. DENR-BMB and partners descended upon Apo Island, Negros Oriental to officially kick-off Month of the Ocean (MOO) 2018. This year's theme “Together for the Reefs” (“Sama-sama para sa Bahura”) compliments and coincides with the International Year of the Reef and aims to get everyone involved in protection the Philippine Seas.
Read MoreJoin LAMAVE for Expedition Shark #4
LAMAVE are looking for two explorers to join #ExpeditionShark4 - our fourth shark research expedition to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines.
Read MoreThe Guilty Pleasure of Swimming with Hand-fed Whale Sharks
Scientific study reveals tourist perspectives on the ethics of feeding whale sharks in Oslob, Philippines. Two-thirds of TripAdvisor comments that mentioned ethical issues were classified as “Guilty Pleasure”, whereby the tourists were aware of the moral and ethical issues of feeding an endangered species for tourism purposes, but still chose to do the tour and recommended it to others…
Read MoreFrom the pitch to the ocean
At the age of 18, I was attending my final year of pre-university education at my local school in the Netherlands. I was studying really, really hard (:p) and I was playing soccer at a pretty high level, something I loved to do….But then in the early season the worst thing I could imagine happened - I tore off possibly all the ligaments in my right-knee and at the same time, I had to do my finals…
Read MoreOcean Love
When you are a volunteer with LAMAVE, you spent a lot of time in the ocean. I choose to spend most of my free time with things that have to do with the ocean as well. During my in-water sessions, I could not help but pay attention to everything that swims and moves underwater.
Read MoreEvery Turtle Counts. Rescue & Release
A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) was released to the Bohol Sea on the 23rd of January after it was found floating in the waters of Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental in the third week of September. The turtle was released by LAMAVE Researcher and Vet Dr Alessandro Ponzo in collaboration with Silliman University Institute of Environmental & Marine Sciences (IEMS), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Marine Conservation Philippines (MCP).
Read MoreMissing; the world’s biggest fish
Today’s forecast; clear, sunny skies and a top temperature of 32°C – another glorious day. Whizzing down the coastal road, the breeze providing relief from the already sweltering morning sun, the smell of sea salt wafts through the jeepney. The excitement of soon submerging into the world below the surface builds. Once off the jeepney, each step brings you closer to cooling off with the giants of the deep, in today’s crystal clear blue sea.
Read MoreMeet the LAMAVE Scholars - Bryan Madera
Meet our scholars! Each LAMAVE research project has at least one Filipino Scholar who is sponsored to join our team. These are our amazing LAMAVE Scholars! Next up is Bryan Madera who recently joined our whale shark research team in Northern Mindanao. Here’s what the inspiring conservationist had to share with us…
Read MoreNew paper studies whale shark genetics from parasites collected from the shark's skin
Whale shark scientists have come up with a novel way of investigating whale shark genetics, using a minimally-invasive technique that focuses not on the shark, but rather on parasites that live on their skin!
Read MoreScientists film the first ever live encounter of the rare and Endangered Ornate Eagle Ray in the Philippines
An encounter with the rare and Endangered Ornate Eagle Ray by researchers from LAMAVE and WWF on an expedition to Cagayancillio, has been reported as the first-ever live encounter with the species in Philippine waters, expanding its current known range.
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