Climate change may impact mobula ray’s distribution if any variation happens on the oceanographic conditions (e.g., increases of sea surface temperature) or the abundance and distribution of the zooplankton species in vulnerable areas of ecological importance, such as Baja California.
At the same time, marine debris may be considered as a direct human impact on mobula ray’s populations. Studies show that plastics may be ingested by these animals in a passive way during feeding activities; which include contaminants and pollutants that can be assimilated by their organism. Regarding micropastics, mobulid habitats, may overlap with microplastic pollution hotspots over the world, but more research is needed to find the direct consequences on their biology and ecology.
Photographer: @jayclue