Jessica Pate
Research Scientist & US Country Manager
Google Scholar Instagram LinkedIn Research Gate
jessica.pate[@]marinemegafauna.org
Research Interests
Jessica’s research interests focus primarily on the biology, ecology and behavior of imperiled marine species to inform management decisions. While she began her career collecting data on sea turtle populations, she now researches a never-before studied population of manta rays in south Florida. Jessica is interested in understanding the environmental drivers of spatial and temporal distribution, life history traits and anthropogenic impacts on Florida’s manta rays. She utilizes a range of methodologies including underwater photography, aerial surveys, satellite and acoustic telemetry, genetics, and sociological surveys to answer her research questions. A key component of her research is involving local stakeholders in data collection and conservation, as well as raising awareness of marine conservation issues to the general public.
Education
2014 Master of Science, Biology
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Thesis title: A comparison of body proportions in juvenile sea turtles: How shape may optimize survival in a vulnerable life stage
2007 Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Biography
Originally from eastern North Carolina, Jessica has always had a love of animals and the outdoors. While at UNC-Chapel Hill she majored in Environmental Science, and studied abroad in Mexico and Kenya. These experiences stoked her desire to travel, conduct field work and conserve the natural world. She has lived and worked around the world as a biologist, including studying sea turtles in Costa Rica and Ghana, diving in Honduras and even as a professor of marine biology on a sailboat while crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
In 2016, she started the Florida Manta Project (FMP) with MMF. She first saw manta rays in Florida while working on sea turtle nesting beaches, and was surprised to learn that manta rays there were unstudied. Since the inception of FMP, she has described south Florida as a potential nursery habitat for young manta rays and documented a high frequency of anthropogenic impacts (fishing gear entanglement, vessel strikes) on these mantas.
Jessica enjoys scuba diving, underwater photography, bird watching, hiking, reading and running. Though manta rays are her favorite animal, she also loves looking for tiny nudibranchs and blennies while diving!
Current MMF projects
Jessica is the lead scientist for the Florida Manta Project. She conducts year-round field work on a juvenile manta ray population in south Florida. In addition to field work, she produces lesson plans for school children, publishes scientific papers, designs conservation outreach materials, and is even writing a children’s book about manta rays! In 2021, she will be expanding her research to a seasonal population of adult manta rays in central Florida.
Media
Recreational Shark Fishing: Collaborating for Conservation| ChangingSeasTV
Big manta rays found 'right under our nose' off Florida beaches | National Geographic
Amazing discovery in Palm Beach County: Giant manta ray babies and a study that could save a threatened species | Palm Beach Post
Manta Ray Research And Don’t Eat The Goat! With Jessica Pate | So You Want to be a Marine Biologist Podcast
This Woman-Led Conservation Team Is Protecting Giant Gentle Manta Rays | GOOD Magazine
Featured papers
Urban manta rays: potential manta ray nursery habitat along a highly developed Florida coastline. 2020. Pate JH, Marshall AD. Endangered Species Research.
Surveys of recreational anglers reveal knowledge gaps and positive attitudes towards manta ray conservation in Florida. 2020. Pate JH, Macdonald C, Wester J. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.