How to help a PhD student raise funds for her research and simultaneously learn heaps about sharks and rays.
Michelle Carpenter — PhD student, the University of Cape Town
Free seminar on sharks and rays on July 17th, 2020, 10:00am PST / 1:00pm ET. Sign up here.
The health of our oceans is dependent on sharks and rays, and our survival is connected to theirs.
The ocean is our life support system: it gives us the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, the jobs we rely on, and the places we depend on for relaxation and enjoyment. Oceans around the globe rely on top predators, like sharks and rays, to keep the balance in their ecosystems; but the populations of these fascinating organisms are under severe threat. A world without sharks and rays is a world without us.
We hear it almost every day now: we certainly are living during a strange and unique time. Zoom calls have replaced happy hours, and funny animal videos have taken the place of movie theaters. Days of the week don’t exist (although when I lived in the field/bush for almost two years for my MSc this didn’t seem to bother me). Postgraduates, with even more time for screens, are getting more writing and data done than ever before. Cooking has become the most exciting part of the day. And online learning has never been more powerful. Never has there been a better time to learn about the importance of the oceans and the fascinating creatures that live within them.
major Upgrade: the road from msc to phd
Michelle Carpenter presenting MSc work at a conference (left) and in the field (right).
During the start of our local lockdown, my masters of science (MSc) on manta ray population and behavior in Zavora, Mozambique was excitedly upgraded to a PhD, expanding on the theme to broadly characterize the use of cleaning stations by mobulids - manta and devil rays - in Southern Africa.
Cleaning stations are areas on reefs where symbiotic cleaner fish remove parasites and clean wounds on hosts - anything from a small fish to massive sharks or manta rays. These amazing relationships are intricate and complicated, with many species working together to keep their client happy while also benefiting themselves. This cleaner-client community has existed for millions of years, one of the oldest and most beautiful examples of inter-species cooperation we have yet seen in nature.
Cleaning is crucial for the health of an animal: manta rays spend up to eight hours in a single day at cleaning stations! Manta rays love attending the ‘spa’ as a social occasion, and it's even a place where they can flirt. Due to the high volume and duration of organisms at these stations, they are also areas on reefs where important courtship behavior occurs. Cleaning stations are therefore critical to protect for the survival of copious amounts of species.
Manta ray courtship is one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles to watch, involving one female manta ray being followed by one or more males in a ‘train’ that copy her every twist turn and flip until she chooses one to mate with. Credit: Michelle Carpenter
In Zavora, my MSc research documented over 1,000 sightings of threatened reef manta rays at just one cleaning station, emphasizing the need to create a protected area encompassing this reef. We also found an even sex ratio and observed many courtship events that shows this site is important for reproduction (we affectionately refer to this one reef as the local rave spot). Novel behaviors such as potential communication between manta ray was also observed at these critical cleaning stations (see my past article here).
“Nothing truly valuable can be achieved except by the unselfish cooperation of many individuals.”
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and got me to where I am today in this journey.
Students more broke than ever… but the show must go on
Though our Mother Earth has received an overdue and needed break, research and conservation efforts have also collapsed during the COVID-19 era. Tourism, along with much of our funding, has ground to a halt, which we — students, NGOS, researchers, conservationists, journalists — all depend upon to keep progress moving forward.
With that new wave of passionate energy that came with upgrading to a PhD, I enthusiastically began to organize plans, proposals, research permits and grant applications to keep the research going. Where I am based, and with the amazing help of my colleagues and supervisors, we are lucky with the opportunity to continue research and begin these new projects. However, most of the grants that I am eligible for are currently not operating. The elation of my prospective PhD slowly began to fade.
However, a ray of hope was presented when I was offered a position by Bluewater University, an online teaching platform dedicated to the ocean. Now that’s a university I want to be a part of!
A spotted eagle ray flies towards the light. Photo credit: Michelle Carpenter
A FINtastic opportunity
Michelle Carpenter giving a lecture on marine life.
Teaching has always been a passion for me, especially about marine life. To be able to teach on sharks and rays is my absolute dream job. Sharks and rays have roamed the Earth for nearly 400 million years, surviving through four major mass extinctions, including that of the dinosaurs. They are among the most iconic and fascinating animals on Earth, yet very little is still known about them.
What we do know is that they are disappearing quickly due to human impact. These animals need our help now more than ever. Through photography, science, and spreading awareness, each of us can make a positive impact for sharks and rays. This exciting opportunity allows me to raise awareness about sharks and rays. This new form of online learning provides the ability to connect to people all over the world over a concern that affects all of us: sharks, rays, and our oceans.
THE SECRET LIVES OF SHARKS AND RAYS
The premier to this journey will be on July 17, 2020 at 10:00am PST/1:00pm ET (sign up here) which is a free, teaser seminar that is linked to the three-part class series on sharks and rays (each consecutive following Friday). This will be an engaging and interactive course on shark and ray biology, ecology, photography, and conservation offered every Friday. Each class has a different focus but includes a foundation of shark and ray biology taught each class, and therefore can be attended individually.
Each Friday following July 17th costs $20, with all funds raised directly supporting my PhD thesis on manta and devil rays in Southern Africa. This will be an opportunity for you to have fun learning and support research and conservation at the same time! Below are the dates for those classes:
July 24th: A Day in the Life of a Shark
July 31st: Mysterious Rays
August 7th: Ray of Hope: Help Sharks and Rays in Your Everyday Life
In depth, participatory, and engaging seminar on sharks: July 2020 24th, 10:00am PST / 1:00pm ET. Sign up here
In depth, participatory, and engaging discussion on shark and ray conversation: August 7th, 2020, 10:00am PST / 1:00pm ET. Sign up here
Like those wonderful cleaner fish client relationships that I get to study as part of my thesis, my hope is that we can work together to clean up this planet, which is finally getting a little bit of a break of our need to consume, move, and be busy. I hope whoever is reading this that you, your family, and loved ones are safe and healthy, and that we continue to stay strong during this time. Wishing you the best and I hope to see you on Fridays!
-Michelle
Photo credit: Ibrahim Rifath