Ultrasounds for Abalone
Ultrasounds Proven an Effective, Hands-off Way to Help Spawn Endangered Abalone
The world’s abalone are threatened, endangered or otherwise vulnerable in nearly every corner of the planet. While captive breeding efforts are underway for some species, these giant sea snails are notoriously difficult to spawn. If only we could wave a magic wand to know when abalone are ready to reproduce, without even touching them.
Scientists from the University of California, Davis, found that wand — although it isn’t magic, and it only looks like a wand. It’s an ultrasound transducer, and it can be used to quickly and noninvasively detect when abalone are ready to spawn, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.