This is a behind the scenes look at Action Grantee Danny Copeland's film The Mini Mantas of Maria. Danny completed two behind the scenes films as part of his grant project and this is the full length version.
Mobulid rays are a family of fishes consisting of nine species of mobula ray and two species of manta. Also known as devil rays, mobulids are some of the least undersood and charismatic animals in the oceans. Yet their populations are in decline. Fisheries target them for their gill plates to serve a demand in Asia for their use in a medicinal tonic believed to heal various afflictions. No scientific evidence spports these claims. Conservation NGOs have combated the trade by highlighting its unsustainability and their superior economic value of mobulid ecotourism. Efforts began with manta rays, and in 2013 both species were listed on Appendix II of CITES - the only international and legally binding treaty that can be used to control the trade in endangered species.
Danny Copeland: Making the Mini Mantas of Maria (Full Film)
This is a behind the scenes look at Action Grantee Danny Copeland's film The Mini Mantas of Maria. Danny completed two behind the scenes films as part of his grant project and this is the full length version.
Danny Copeland: #loveminimantas
About the Project
Mobulid rays are a family of fishes consisting of nine species of mobula ray and two species of manta. Also known as devil rays, mobulids are some of the least undersood and charismatic animals in the oceans. Yet their populations are in decline. Fisheries target them for their gill plates to serve a demand in Asia for their use in a medicinal tonic believed to heal various afflictions. No scientific evidence spports these claims. Conservation NGOs have combated the trade by highlighting its unsustainability and their superior economic value of mobulid ecotourism. Efforts began with manta rays, and in 2013 both species were listed on Appendix II of CITES - the only international and legally binding treaty that can be used to control the trade in endangered species.