Marine scientist Michelle Carpenter will talk about how fascinating manta rays are, the dangers they findthemselves in, and working with the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF). MMF is an international NGO that focuses on the conservation of giant ocean animals through pioneering research, education, and sustainable conservation solutions. She has been working with manta rays in Mozambique and Komodo National Park, mainly contributing to long term research projects that assess populations through photoidentifion Michelle’s work includes research and conservation of whale sharks, both species of manta ray, turtles, humpback whales, zebra sharks, dolphins, and other sharks and ray species. She will discuss how most marine species are threatened and why the ocean is in dire need of our help.

Michelle Carpenter is from Binghamton, NY and completed her bachelor of marine science at Eckerd College St. Petersburg Florida. Since then she has traveled to work in marine conservation. She specializes in sharks and rays and has spent the last year and a half researching manta rays in Mozambique and Komodo National Park. This year she will begin a masters on manta rays with the University of Cape Town in South Africa