There's Nemo, Scarface (from a wound from a boat propeller), Sasquatch, Valentina (for a heart-shaped pattern of belly spots), Corazón (Spanish for heart, for another heart-shaped pattern) and Cassiopeia (for belly spots that resemble the constellation).Ĭalusa Horn, giant manta ray recovery coordinator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, said the agency is studying whether to designate the Gulf or South Florida areas " critical habitat" but that scientists must first figure out why those areas attract manta rays. When scientists study individual Florida panthers, they give them unpoetic designations like "FP 62." But South Florida's manta rays get real names. They can tell them apart by the unique patterns of spots on their bellies and through scars from encounters with boats or fishing lines. Pate's group has identified 125 individual manta rays across a study area that runs from Stuart to Fort Lauderdale. Young manta rays, which have wing spans of 6-10 feet, can be seen in the Boynton and Jupiter inlets, where scientists think the attractions may include denser concentrations of plankton or the presence of currents that provide a flow of water over their gills, helping them eat or rest. Lucie inlet near Stuart, both favored by juvenile manta rays. ![]() As part of that process, the service will consider whether to protect any areas as critical habitat, a designation that would require the manta ray to be taken into account in any federal actions involving that area.Ĭandidates for critical habitat include a patch of the Gulf of Mexico called the Flower Garden Banks and a stretch of South Florida from Boynton Beach to the St. The National Marine Fisheries Service designated manta rays a threatened species in 2018 and began work on a recovery plan, with a draft expected out this year. One of our researchers found females can form social bonds that last for years." They have the largest brains of any fish. "This area is super important to protect because it can be a refuge for manta populations around the world," said Jessica Pate, research scientist with the Marine Megafauna Foundation, who pioneered the study of the South Florida population. ![]() While the main threats to manta rays lie in the Pacific Ocean, where they're targeted for use in traditional Chinese medicine, advocates say that peril just increases the significance of the U.S. But despite their foreboding appearance, these marine phantoms are harmless, except to plankton.Ī juvenile population of giant manta rays has been discovered in South Florida, and it's being studied as the federal government draws up plans for protecting the species.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |