FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Giant manta rays radiate menace as they sweep across the ocean surface, their wings reaching a span of up to 29 feet.
But despite their foreboding appearance, these marine phantoms are harmless, except to plankton.
A 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. 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. population.
