Andrea: Queen of Mantas
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"I can't say for sure when I fell in love with manta rays, but when I did, I fell hard."
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We talk to Dr. Andrea Marshall about the making of 'Andrea: Queen of Mantas' |
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| Dr. Andrea Marshall, manta ray researcher, SOSF project leader, and now star of new BBC documentary ‘Andrea: Queen of Mantas’ talks to us about the experience of producing a natural history documentary focused on her research and the species she has dedicated her life to. Andrea, you’ve been based in Mozambique for many years now, researching manta rays as well as running conservation and education programs. You must have really fallen in love with the area as well as the species to commit so much of your life to it. What is it about manta rays and your study site that is so special to you?
I can't say for sure when I fell in love with manta rays, but when I did, I fell hard. From a really young age I was obsessed with sharks. So much so, that it is still hard for me to believe that I ended up studying rays. But despite my continued passion for sharks, the mysteries surrounding manta rays have, for now, completely captivated me. I am driven by a need to answer the questions that we still do not know about these animals and to fight for their continued survival in the world’s oceans. I imagine a normal work day for you entails spending lots of time in the water at your study site in Mozambique, the experience of producing a documentary must have been quite a change of pace. Did you enjoy the process? Filming such a major documentary was a very unusual opportunity and I jumped at the chance to share what I know about mantas with such a large audience. However, the actual process of filming was like nothing that I could have ever expected. I have a lot of respect for people who do this for a living. To capture rare behaviour or the subtle nuances of an animal’s every day life is a monumental task. It initially seemed like something that would be easy, because I see manta rays every day, but it was actually incredibly challenging. I am so grateful that I had such a dedicated team of underwater cameramen. In the end, I really wanted the film to capture the true nature of mantas. They are incredibly majestic and gentle creatures but they have a distinct curiosity that is absent in so many of the other sharks and rays. I wanted people to see how they engage divers underwater, how playful they can be. It was important for me to convey this to people who have never seen a manta ray, and I think the film really captured just how awe inspiring and unusual these animals really are. At the end of the day, I was just so pleased that I could share with everyone some of the special and life changing moments that I have had with them over the years. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. |
Alongside film-making there are a number of methods that researchers can employ to disseminate their findings. Do you think in today’s web culture that it’s becoming easier for scientists to share their research and reach the general public, or are these developments more of a hindrance, creating extra work to sometimes already overburdened researchers? That is such an interesting and relevant question. While this latest BBC film was a worthwhile endeavor, it was also very time consuming and demanded a lot of my attention over a significant period of time. I think that because of its enormous distribution it will be a very important and visually stunning educational tool. Scientists do not often have the opportunity to speak to such large audiences, so in this instance it was well worth the time and effort put in. However, I am also keenly aware that the only reason I had this opportunity was because I had worked so hard for many years and during that time uncovered some interesting aspects about a highly charismatic species. As a relatively ambitious young researcher it is hard to find a balance between spending enough time participating in education based projects and films and doing the actual fieldwork necessary to continually make interesting and meaningful contributions to science.  Andrea taking an ID photo of a manta Do you think that researchers have a responsibility to help disseminate information about their findings to the public, or should this responsibility lie with bloggers, the media, and film-makers? I think that researchers definitely have a responsibility to be educators. We fall short of our duty if our work is never seen or never has an impact on the public. Publishing is one thing, but explaining to people the relevance of the findings is also important if we are to move beyond science for science and more towards science for conservation. Plus, there is nothing like hearing information from the source or from those on the frontline. Data can get so mis-interpreted or overlooked if the topic is complicated. It is nice to involve researchers so that there is certain level of quality control and validation. Still, sometimes it is hard for scientists to keep up with the media outlets available to us. It is not always easy keeping up with the latest technological trends. At the moment, aside from the various film projects and TV shows we are working on we try to keep in touch with the public on our Foundation’s Facebook page which allows our fans to follow the fieldwork that is currently underway and to get updates on our findings as we progress. It is also fun for us to actually take time out of our day to connect with people who are passionate about the animals we are researching. Page 1 / 2 |
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