As temperatures warm from June to October, the distribution of manta rays extends northward along the shelf-edge, with higher occurrences north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

The highest nearshore occurrence off tends to be off northeastern Florida during April.

This model predicts where manta rays are most likely to occur, based on sea surface temperature, water depth, and productivity as inferred from thermal fronts and Chlorophyll-a concentration.īased on the model's predictions, we have improved insights on where, when, and how many mantas are likely to occur in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters:

The study team controlled for aerial survey effort and environmental factors affecting the ability to see manta rays to develop the model. The team developed a species distribution model to predict where manta rays are most likely to occur based on a number of environmental factors.

Sightings were heavily biased to where more people are on or near the water. They came from decades of aerial surveys, social media posts, scientific publications, and direct reports to NOAA’s manta sightings email account. The study team identified more than 5,000 verified sightings of giant manta rays. The 4-year study found these large rays consistently occur in warm, productive coastal and shelf-edge waters off the eastern United States and within the Gulf of Mexico. In a new study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, NOAA scientists and partners describe the annual and seasonal changes in manta ray distribution, as revealed by aerial surveys. They are highly mobile-they move quite a bit and need protection in areas both where they travel and where they live. The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The giant manta ray is a filter feeder with a wing span of up to 29 feet. But then you realize the world’s largest ray is harmless and just looking for its next meal: tiny zooplankton. When you see a big, dark shadow with wings glide by you in the water, your first reaction might be one of fear due to the enormous size.

Giant manta ray aquarium