Grantee: SharkLab-Malta

Project duration: February 2024 – February 2025 

 

The Challenge

Bull Rays  (Aetomylaeus bovinus) are critically endangered and can be spotted all along Malta’s coast, favouring sandy beaches and nearby reefs. Currently, very little scientific data exists on the beautiful rays, leaving them exposed to threats and a lack of protection or management plans across their range. 

The Solution

Sharklab-Malta has been studying bull rays for over a decade, revealing that Malta is a crucial nursery ground for this species – the only such site identified worldwide. Publishing this data will help local stakeholders understand the population and implement stronger protection measures, from conservation policies to public awareness campaigns.

Beyond research publication, the project aims to share these findings with local stakeholders and advocate for practical conservation steps. Our goal is to showcase the ecological significance and beauty of bull rays, inspiring Malta to take action – just as it did with Great Whites in 1999 – and lead the way in protecting our marine heritage.

Malta Environment Foundation is supporting Sharklab-Malta in publishing their research by covering the publication fees. The Foundation is aiding in their writing process and will offer ad hoc assistance in identifying stakeholders for their workshop. Additionally, MEF is supporting Sharklab in logistics by helping them find the ideal venue for their workshops. 

Project Outcomes

The project delivered these key outcomes:

• Published a novel scientific paper using data they collected throughout the past decade.
• Organised two stakeholder meetings to raise awareness and lobby for conservation measures.

 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with MEF to help shine a light on these truly magnificent creatures. Despite their shallow ecology, so little is known about them, let alone published in scientific literature, and we hope that this project will go some way as to reversing that trend, and to help the wider Maltese public fall in love with their resident baby rays as we have. The project also speaks to the impact that small groups of dedicated people can have on their local environment and local species, it can be small NGOs, amateur naturalists, even private companies, we can all have a far greater impact than we realise, especially when we work together.”

Charlie Matthews, Sharklab-Malta

Learn more about Bull Rays in a booklet produced by the Sharklab-Malta team here.