Wings in the Water

Step aboard the Ono V and join Mote Marine Lab Senior Biologist Kim Bassos-Hull as she cruises the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico looking for spotted eagle rays. Popular in public aquariums, and found in warm and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the spotted eagle ray is an amazingly beautiful animal. Sometimes referred to as “flat sharks,” these elasmobranchs are easily identified by spot patterns on their dorsal  side.Photos and a fast-paced text show how Kim and other scientists investigate the behaviors and habitats of these rays from pups to mature adults in order to develop a conservation plan for this near-threatened species.