The 2015 MantaWatch Internship Program (MIP) begins today, and already this year’s program has the makings to be even better than previous years.
Interns from MIP Alumni have had a very busy year, and are demonstrating that they truly are young marine conservation leaders and manta ambassadors. Over the past 12 months MIP Alumni have been accepted to postgraduate marine conservation programs at universities around the world, have published marine life identification books, and have even been invited by US President Barak Obama to participate in his Young South East Asian Leaders Initiative. We’ll be posting more on these stories over the next few weeks.
Introduction to Manta Rays
This year I am very happy to welcome four MantaWatch Interns to our team: Divo Noerchayo and Lucia Kusolo from the University of Indonesia; Haries Sukandar from Diponogoro University; and Mutiara Dhitasari from Padjadjaran University.
We received many strong applications to this year’s program, but these four exceptional students impressed the selection committee and will receive a Guy Joseph MantaWatch Award and a place on this year’s internship program. Over the next four weeks they will receive academic training in manta ecology, develop practical manta research and conservation skills, participate in leadership training, and learn how public-private collaboration is supporting the development of conservation policy in West Manggarai.
This year I am also very happy to welcome back four MIP Alumni from previous years. Anindita Rustandi (2012), Vidlia Rosady (2013), Niomi Pridina (2014) and Gerald Wenur (2014) will be mentoring and training this year’s interns, and passing on their knowledge and experience.
Today the program started with introductions to each other and to the program, and training on manta ray taxonomy and physiology. In the late afternoon we all had our first sight of the ocean, when we did a dive skills refresher at nearby Angel Island. And of course we all completed a 200m swim test!
I’m looking forward to working with this year’s interns and the MIP mentor team over the next four weeks, and to seeing where these young marine leaders go next.
