<p>Researchers in Mexico have achieved the first use of underwater ultrasound scans to detect pregnancies in giant oceanic manta rays, a development that could help uncover where females give birth and where newborns cluster.</p>
<p>The endangered species is sparsely distributed and travels vast distances, complicating reproductive studies. A team led by marine ecologist Madalena Cabral conducted expeditions in Revillagigedo National Park off Baja California to locate female mantas and perform non-contact ultrasound scans, recording the images on an iPhone 15.</p>
<p>After learning to interpret the sonograms, Cabral identified a manta fetus and later confirmed pregnancies in three individuals, named Timshel, Ophelia and Grecia. The mantas were tagged to monitor their movements, and the findings were published as a preprint in June.</p>
<p>Experts unaffiliated with the study described the ultrasound images as highly informative, noting that pregnancies can be detectable even when external signs are not visible. This method could allow researchers to identify more pregnant females and track their movements during gestation.</p>
<p>Ultrasound scanning has previously been used on smaller reef mantas, but this is the first application to giant mantas. Reproductive data for giant mantas are limited due to their slower life history, including giving birth to one pup every four to five years after a roughly year-long pregnancy.</p>
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