Pacific Manta Research Group — Citizen-Science Photo-ID and Outreach

Overview

The Pacific Manta Research Group (PMRG) studies oceanic mantas of the Eastern Pacific, with a focus on the Revillagigedo Archipelago and collaborations in the Gulf of California and Bahía de Banderas. The program blends citizen-science photo submissions with researcher-led tagging and field work to track individuals, demography, movement, and injury/scar histories.1

I contribute on the communication and tooling side—helping design the public website and photo-ID submission pathway so divers can send usable ventral-ID images with consistent metadata (date, site, photographer).2

Quick Facts

  • Role: Web/UX & photo-ID support (PMRG)
  • When: 2024 – present
  • Skills: content design, contributor guides, photo-ID catalog support, metadata standards, outreach

Background and Questions

  • How can we scale high-quality, diver-submitted images into an ID catalog with reliable individual re-sighting?
  • Which regions and seasons yield most re-sightings around Revillagigedo, and what can injury/scar records tell us about threats?

Methods

  • Photo-ID pipeline: contributor instructions that prioritize ventral markings, pelvic fins (sexing), and high-contrast exposure; support for small-batch forms and bulk transfers with folder/filename conventions.3
  • Data hygiene: enforce date/time/location metadata; avoid on-image timestamps; retain EXIF when possible.4
  • Outreach materials: boat-friendly Photo-ID guidance, FAQ, and visual examples to reduce unusable submissions.5

Results (preview)

  • Increased intake of ID-quality ventral images and cleaner metadata across recent trips.
  • Building re-sighting threads and injury notes for individuals as catalog grows (summaries forthcoming).

How to Contribute

  • Submit your photos: follow the folder/filename pattern and send via the form or transfer service.6
  • Ideal shots: clear ventral side, include pelvic fins; use flash/close-range for black morphs; video can help stitch turning sequences.7

Acknowledgements

PMRG team & collaborators; participating dive boats and photographers who contribute critical images.

Footnotes

  1. Pacific Manta Research Group — About. https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/about/↩︎

  2. Pacific Manta Research Group — Submit Photos (contributor guidance, metadata, upload options). https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/submit-photos/↩︎

  3. Pacific Manta Research Group — Submit Photos (contributor guidance, metadata, upload options). https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/submit-photos/↩︎

  4. Pacific Manta Research Group — Submit Photos (contributor guidance, metadata, upload options). https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/submit-photos/↩︎

  5. Pacific Manta Research Group — About. https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/about/↩︎

  6. Pacific Manta Research Group — Submit Photos (contributor guidance, metadata, upload options). https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/submit-photos/↩︎

  7. Pacific Manta Research Group — Submit Photos (contributor guidance, metadata, upload options). https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/submit-photos/↩︎

  8. Pacific Manta Research Group — About. https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/about/↩︎

  9. Pacific Manta Research Group — Submit Photos (contributor guidance, metadata, upload options). https://pacificmantaresearchgroup.org/submit-photos/↩︎