Third nursery ground for manta rays ever discovered

[FfFfFfFF 58,378]

In a new study, released this week in the journal Endangered Species Research, Pate and colleagues show strong evidence that South Florida has a nursery ground for manta rays—only the third ever found. Manta nurseries tend to be food-rich and relatively free from predators, allowing the young animals to safely grow.

“It was amazing because it was an unexpected finding, and the other two nursery grounds were also just identified in 2018 and 2019,” in Indonesia and the Gulf of Mexico, says Pate, founder and lead scientist of the Florida Manta Project.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers both manta species, the giant manta ray (which can reach widths of 29 feet) and the reef manta ray as vulnerable to extinction.

For her research, Pate borrowed her grandfather’s fishing boat and spent as many days as she could combing the shallow waters between Jupiter Island and Boynton Beach. 

“In many areas where manta rays are studied, it is uncommon to see juvenile manta rays. It is very rare to see almost exclusively juveniles in one area, as we do in southeast Florida,” she says.

There is also genetic evidence, to be published in a forthcoming paper, that the Florida manta rays belong to a third, new species of manta ray, Pate adds.

S: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/09/young-manta-rays-found-florida-beaches/

[RahrahWitch 6,985]

This is both fascinating but also very sad.

I hope there's something done about the human activity in the area to protect them.

[vyniildisk 12,689]

they cute, looking like little floating alien spacechips and all

[G U C C I 5,578]

I swam with manta rays in Hawaii at night through a company that helps with conservation for the rays and harbor seals. It was incredible. You float on top of the water and they have surf boards with lights to attract plankton and the rays will come to eat. I have never seen such graceful creatures. The biggest one was 16 feet across and it swam about 10 feet beneath me. 

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

Incredibly creatures, so alien-like yet graceful at the same time.

[LilMonst3r 5,688]

I want to live near them now. 😄 I moss living in Puerto Rico, living on an island is so fun; well if you dont live in a caserio. 

[jackoajl 442]

Beautiful