A team from the Connecticut Fish and Wildlife Department was conducting a regular fish survey off Long Island when they caught a literally huge catch. A stingray weighing almost 200 kilograms did not only impress the fishermen.
According to authorities, the stingray (Bathytosia centroura) was over three feet long and three feet wide. “These gentle giants are found along the Atlantic coast from New England to Florida, but are relatively rare on Long Island,” according to Connecticut Fish and Wildlife. “Unbelievable to see something so big. Wow, how did he get here,” users asked online. “A beautiful creature,” was the other tenor.
The biologist knows the answer: this is probably due to the currently high sea temperatures “and for whatever reason, the hurricanes and northeasterly winds,” which explains why the species tends to migrate along the coast and into the Long Island Sound inlet to end up. Molnar told Channel 3.
Climate change causes changes
Climate change in particular plays a role: the extremely long warm water period gives the animals more time to migrate. “We see firsthand the animals’ changes in the environment, their changing behavior and the change in the prey they normally eat,” said Sarah Callan, animal rescue program manager at Mystic Aquarium. “This is definitely a unique challenge for us and for our team.”
Measure the animal and immediately release it into the water
The animals, also called ‘gentle giants’, have a poisonous sting on their tail, but are not aggressive, it is said. They are also not commonly found in shallow areas where people swim.
Connecticut Fish and Wildlife also released a photo of the stingray lying on its back. “Rather than trying to turn the animal, our team quickly took some measurements and immediately put the ray back in the water to watch it swim away alive and healthy,” the ministry said.
“Show that the ecosystem is intact”
In any case, the biologist was happy with the catch. “To us, this is a sign that marine ecosystems are healthy and thriving. It is very important for us to see animals like this,” Molnar said. The catch was part of the Long Island Sound Trawl Surve, which Marine Fisheries staff uses to measure the abundance and distribution of fin whales, squid and other macroinvertebrates (lobsters, crabs, horseshoe crabs, whelks) in Long Island Sound.
The results are used to support local and coastal fisheries management and, increasingly, to assess the ecological health of the Sound.
Source: Krone
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