We fear that mantas could be chased away from their habitat soon if things don't change. So, if you have the privilege of being in nature, do exercise empathy with wildlife and treat them with respect. Here's to hope that the mantas will stay for an indefinite future. (3/3) #marinelife #conservation

On every trip to Manta Point, you'll see divers and snorkelers overcrowding them, and some oblivious guests would even chase and obstruct their swimming pathway. There's a reason why mantas come here in the first place. It is where they feed, socialize, mate, and get cleaned of any parasites. (2/3)

Hi Dr Borja! Could I be added to the list if it isn't full yet? We've never met but I'm one of your coauthors for the paper with Ash and Bayden :) Many thanks!

So cute!! Here's mine from our coral restoration site in Nusa Penida, Indonesia, last year #coralreefs #macro #photography 🦑🌊📷

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that's very specific Rahul and I don't expect anything less from you 🤣

Citizen science is an incredibly important tool for science too! I haven't been to the Atlantic nor eastern side of the Pacific Ocean. Must be wonderful to see the humpback whales.

I love them too! Also freaky how a severed limb of a starfish can regrow to a whole animal 🤯 I also enjoy searching for symbiotic shrimps and crabs that live on the echinoderms. Like this tiny shrimp living on a basket starfish

you have a good taste 👌 cuttlefish are incredible creatures. my favorite is the flamboyant cuttlefish which I've had the pleasure of seeing in Lembeh, Indonesia

Tell me what your favorite marine animal is, and why? I would love to know more about them (2/2) #coralreefs #marinelife #macro #photography 🦑📷

i totall missed the #crustmas opportunity while photoshopping that text bubble, damn 😂

The water was 28 degrees C but the shrimp looks like it is walking in a wintery pine forest... Quite fitting for a Christmas Day post! Look, I even photoshopped a christmas hat on it... cute isn't it? 🎅

#coralreefs #marinelife #macro #nightdive #bali

possibly, but the mantas in nusa penida like to stay in the southern part of the island and their cleaning station is about 20km away from where we were. we also need a boat to access the site so it isn't very practical for a night dive, esp when we needed to precisely time it for the spawning event

It was an incredibly exciting night to finally see coral spawning for the first time, and be covered with coral eggs from head to toe :) Hopefully this discovery could aid and improve prediction of future spawning events in the region.

P.S. coral eggs smell fishy and weird 😅

Different coral colonies would spawn sperm and egg synchronously to maximize chances of fertilization and satiate predators with too much food to eat. This event usually happens around one week after a full moon - one that occurs simultaneously with a sharp increase in sea surface temperature. 2/3