Hi,
Bit of a strange request but here goes
We are a group of marine researchers studying manta and mobula ray populations in the Indian Ocean and are searching for enthusiastic yachters to help us conduct a research expedition in mid-2015. We are searching for a yacht that could be used as a research platform - basically a vessel that could sleep an additional 4-5 researchers for a 3 week cruise departing from and returning to Sri Lanka. Our plan is to follow a local fishing vessel out to sea (anywhere between 200-1,000 nautical miles over ~20 days), document their fishing techniques and place satellite tags on manta and mobula rays in order to track their movement patterns.
To give you some background, we are part of a UK registered charity (The Manta Trust -
Manta Trust | Conservation through Research, Awareness and Education) carrying out marine research and conservation on a global scale in collaboration with various universities, including the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the US. You can find more information about this particular project in the following PDF:
http://www.mantatrust.org/wp-content...-Sri-Lanka.pdf
Please do contact me through this forum (or via email - daniel (at) manta trust . org) if you are interested or if you can point me in the right direction!
Thanks for your time.
Cheers!
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