Originally from Yokohama, Japan and firmly a "pool person" rather than an "ocean person", Rika never imagined a future in marine science. That changed when she moved to New Zealand and had a chance encounter with an oceanic manta ray. This moment was so transformative that she switched her Masters degree focus from Geography and studying floodplains to Marine Science, researching manta and devil rays with Manta Watch Aotearoa New Zealand. 

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Feeling a bit lost after completing her Master's, Rika pursued an internship in Okinawa, here she discovered that many mobulid species were being incidentally caught by fishers—and that no one was studying them. This led her to begin working with local fishers to better understand incidentally caught shark and ray species and explore ways to reduce these interactions.

Rika is the founder of the Japan Manta Project, an initiative dedicated to working with local communities and fishers to understand the biology and ecology of mobulid rays in Japan, with the goal of informing local management strategies and contributing to broader conservation efforts.

Current Project:

Rika is currently pursuing a PhD at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on understanding the movement ecology of manta and devil rays in Okinawa, including connectivity between different island groups and populations, and identifying potential nursery or pupping grounds. She also works closely with local fishers to study post-release survival rates and promote better handling practices. Rika is passionate about community engagement and bridging science with local knowledge to support tangible conservation outcomes. She is supervised by Dr Andrew Chin (Fish & Fisheries Lab), Dr Mark Erdmann (Conservation International Asia Pacific), and Prof. Tim Ravasi (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology).

Favourite species?
Mobula mobular- Spinetail devil ray