Sirenews (ISSN 1017-3439) appears twice a year

in April and October and is edited by Daryl P. Domning,

Department of Anatomy, Howard University, Washington, D.C. 20059 USA

(fax: 202-265-7055). It is supported by the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.

NUMBER 20 OCTOBER 1993

IN THIS ISSUE: - NEW JOURNAL ON MANATEES PUBLISHED IN BRAZIL (p. 5)

- DUGONGS IN OMAN? (p. 7)

- REPORT AND ABSTRACTS OF SYDNEY WORKSHOP (pp. 3, 10)

EDITORIAL: HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE NEED?

The state and various county governments of Florida have for several years been locked in a series of agonizing disputes with the boating industry and commercial and recreational boaters over regulation of waterborne activities for manatee protection. Where boat-speed and other regulations have been implemented, there are encouraging signs that manatee mortality from watercraft impacts may be abating. However, the struggle to enact such regulations in the remaining critical areas only seems to get harder as, with every passing month, the numbers of people and boats in Florida increase. According to Dr. Miriam Marmontel, computer models of the manatees' population structure show that their situation is precarious: their predicted survival or decline to extinction in the state is highly sensitive to changes in mortality rates, and there seems to be no room for error in those estimates that predict survival (see abstract in this issue).

It is clear that the future of manatees in Florida, not to mention other species in other parts of the world, depends critically on self-restraint by humans of their own numbers and per-capita environmental impact. Apart from our moral obligation to preserve endangered species for our descendants, federal legislation such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 mandates whatever actions are needed to maintain a viable manatee population. I submit that the time has come to address seriously the issue of human population growth in this country, and to do so in part by setting national and regional goals for a desirable total population size.

Why do this now? Why start doing it here (in Florida or the USA)? And most of all, why should we (the sirenian research/conservation community, or the marine mammalogy community in general) be talking about it, let alone taking the lead in it?

We need to do it now because manatees and other endangered species can't wait. The increasingly strained physical environment can't wait. On a global scale, the exploding numbers of destitute human beings can't wait. This also happens to be an opportune time: public appreciation of the problems and the stakes is at an all-time high, and the new political atmosphere in Washington is relatively conducive to addressing these problems. A "Warning to Humanity", circulated by the Union of Concerned Scientists and endorsed by more than 1,670 scientists from 71 countries (including 104 Nobel laureates), states that "we must accept limits" to population growth and stabilize the world's population without delay. Furthermore, governments of all countries have been requested to prepare national population reports for the U.N. International Conference on Population and Development to be held in Cairo, Egypt, 5-24 September 1994. What form the United States' report takes, and how close it comes to meeting the need for a realistic and prudent national population policy, will depend largely on the extent and effectiveness of the demand for such a policy.

We need to do it here in the U.S. because of the deteriorating environmental situation here (especially in Florida), and because if we can't do it here we can hardly expect others to do it elsewhere. The developing nations are rightly indignant over the developed nations' attempts to portray overpopulation as strictly a Third World problem. As long ago as 1972, the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future, appointed by President Nixon, concluded, "after two years of concentrated effort," that "no substantial benefits would result from continued growth of the nation's population." That is as good a definition of overpopulation as I know, and that was a generation (and more than 45 million new Americans) ago.

Finally, WE ought to be the ones to start the ball rolling because we have (a) many years of hard data showing (b) a dramatic impact on manatee survival by (c) a rapidly growing human population that is both (d) affluent, educated, and environmentally sophisticated and (e) having this impact largely through activities that are recreational rather than (as in most of the world) vital to human survival. As we have said more than once in recent years, manatees are an ideal test case of human ability and will to protect endangered wildlife: there is simply no respectable excuse we Americans could give to the world for the demise of manatees in Florida.

Furthermore, the official Florida Manatee Recovery Plan has as its stated goal the downlisting of Florida manatees from "endangered" to "threatened" status. The Plan itself specifies that "Downlisting should be considered when ... the population is growing or is stable, when mortality factors are controlled at acceptable levels or are decreasing, and when habitats are secure and threats are controlled or are decreasing." Given that human population growth is a prima facie mortality factor and threat to the manatees' environment, it is patently obvious that, despite all the good the Plan may accomplish, the threat cannot possibly decrease as long as the human population of Florida continues to grow, and therefore the Recovery Plan is doomed to failure according to its own criteria. The "Recovery Plan" is an excellent research and management plan, but as it stands it is not a recovery plan.

For these reasons I propose that a careful and objective study be done to estimate, as nearly as the available data permit, the maximum size of Florida's human population that is likely to be compatible with the long-term survival of manatees in the state. This would be a modest yet significant step on the long road to a national population policy. The study could appropriately be carried out under the auspices of a respected, nonpartisan entity having both responsibilities for marine mammal protection and a strong history of commitment to it - for example, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (formerly the Department of Natural Resources), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or (best, perhaps) the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. The study should be done by a specially appointed panel of biologists, demographers, and other qualified specialists. The resulting estimate would stand as a challenge to the political system(s) involved, either to devise acceptable ways of reaching the implied goal, or to plan for the consequences of not doing so. Even if the study did no more than stimulate public debate on the issue, this would be a marked improvement over the present conspiracy of silence among our civic leaders regarding overpopulation.

The slogan's familiarity has not diminished its force: If not now, when? If not us, who? - DPD

REPORT OF THE SIRENIA SPECIALIST GROUP MEETING

Members of the Sirenia Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN met in Sydney, Australia, on 10 July 1993, as part of a workshop on sirenians and seagrasses held during the Sixth International Theriological Congress [see Abstracts, below]. The Sirenia Specialist Group members noted that sirenians have been well studied in relatively few of the 60 countries whose waters they occupy. Nonetheless, there is growing interest in developing sirenian research or conservation programs by scientists in countries with unstudied or poorly studied sirenian populations. In many cases, the scientists possess great enthusiasm, but lack funds. Some of the scientists wish to initiate expensive, high-technology programs (e.g., telemetry) at the outset. The Sirenia Specialist Group recommends a more fundamental, cost-effective approach to initiating a sirenian research or conservation program.

The Sirenia Specialist Group discussed research priorities for unstudied sirenian populations. The Group recommends the following research activities, listed in the order in which they should be implemented:

1) determine the presence or absence of sirenians in the regions;

2) assess overall distribution and define high-use areas;

3) describe general characteristics of important habitats;

4) assess impacts of humans on the animals and plants;

5) evaluate major aspects of population dynamics.

The Sirenia Specialist Group advises that scientists undertaking studies of relatively unstudied sirenian populations start with fundamentals, including, but not limited to: 1) becoming familiar with literature dealing with sirenians elsewhere; 2) interviewing local people who might provide insight regarding presence/absence, important habitat, impacts (including directed take), and cultural attitudes that might either facilitate or retard conservation efforts; 3) using knowledge already available and generally applicable (e.g., preference for low-fiber seagrasses by dugongs, sirenian gestation periods) as a framework for developing research questions that may assess area-specific biological traits (e.g., age at first reproduction); and 4) developing interdisciplinary alliances with specialists (e.g., anthropologists, sociologists, ecologists, or Geographic Information System specialists) whose expertise could be valuable in understanding and conserving sirenians or habitat. The Sirenia Specialist Group noted that the most important studies of sirenians will develop long-term databases, which probably can only be maintained by developing local/regional expertise, enthusiasm, and financial support.

The sirenians are "flagship species", a term reflecting in this context their visibility and the enthusiasm with which the public often address sirenian-related issues. Efforts to preserve sirenians may, therefore, be easier to fund or to engender public support for than efforts to preserve other components of ecosystems. Nonetheless, adequate and appropriate conservation of sirenians within a particular region will have important consequences for habitat conservation.

In this regard, the Sirenia Specialist Group notes that education and awareness efforts should parallel research to achieve regional goals of sirenian or habitat protection. Education, like research, should have a local focus, and should be region-specific to accommodate cultural or socio-economic practices. However, effective education programs also involve educating managers and administrators who can provide funds for initiation and continuation of programs, and the scientists themselves (i.e., through familiarity with relevant literature). The Sirenia Specialist Group recommends that development of multi-focal education programs accompany development of research programs.

In summary, the Sirenia Specialist Group recommends a step-wise approach to research, as well as a multi-focal education program, to learn about and conserve unstudied sirenian populations. A great deal can be learned and accomplished using fundamental approaches that require neither high levels of funding nor extensive technological expertise. - John E. Reynolds, III

FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANATEE AND DUGONG

RESEARCH CONFERENCE

The First International Manatee and Dugong Research Conference will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Gainesville, Florida, Friday-Sunday, 11-13 March, 1994, and will deal with all aspects of sirenian biology, conservation, and evolution. The conference will include a field trip to Homosassa Springs on 11 March, with oral and poster presentations on the other two days. Seven invited speakers will give 30-minute talks, each followed by several 15-minute contributed papers. The banquet speaker on Saturday evening will be Tom O'Shea.

Those wishing to give a presentation should submit a 1-3 page manuscript (8.5" x 11" paper, 1" margins, 10-point or larger font) by 1 December 1993. Tables and line drawings may be incorporated, but not halftones. Indicate your preference for an oral or poster presentation. Slots for oral presentations are limited and will be allocated by the organizing committee. Manuscripts, and questions on conference content, can be directed to Roger L. Reep, Dept. of Physiological Sciences, Box 100144 JHMHC, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610; phone (904) 392-4700, ext. 3859; fax (904) 392-5145; Internet REEP@CORTEX.HEALTH.UFL.EDU.

Established investigators, students, and interested lay people are encouraged to attend. Each attendee will receive at the meeting a bound volume of the papers presented at the meeting. Participation is limited to 250 people. Registration costs are $70 for non-student participants, $30 for students; late registration (after 1 December) is $110 or $50, respectively. The charge for the banquet is $18, and for the field trip, $15 (lunch included). For registration, contact Pat Neilson, University of Florida, IFAS Office of Conferences, P.O. Box 110750, Gainesville, FL 32611-0750; phone (904) 392-5930; fax (904) 392-9734.

MARINE MAMMAL E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST

A marine mammal research and conservation e-mail discussion list has been established, using the listserver at the University of Victoria. The purpose of this is to facilitate discussion regarding research and conservation of marine mammals, as well as for posting conference or meeting announcements, volunteer opportunities, new techniques or equipment available, new books or journals published, etc.

There is no cost for subscribing. Messages sent to the list (marmam@uvvm.uvic.ca) will be forwarded to all members subscribing to the list. To subscribe, send a message to the listserver (listserv@uvvm.uvic.ca or listserv@uvic.bitnet), with a message in the text saying:

subscribe MARMAM your name

The subject line in the message should be left blank.

Please forward this message to any colleagues working on marine mammal research or conservation topics. Questions regarding the list can be sent to the list managers, David Duffus (ddvffvs@uvvm.uvic.ca) or Robin Baird (rbaird@sfu.ca). - Robin Baird

LOCAL NEWS

BRAZIL

New Manatee Journal. - The Brazilian environment agency IBAMA has inaugurated a new technical journal devoted entirely to research on the nation's manatees. Entitled Peixe-Boi, or manatee, it is published in Portuguese by IBAMA's National Center for Conservation and Management of Sirenians, and is edited by Danielle Paludo.

Publication began in 1992 with Ano 1, No. 1, a spiral-bound issue of 73 pages containing six articles (see Recent Literature, below). The contents deal with both Amazonian and West Indian manatees and cover such topics as distribution, status, and conservation in the wild and diet, growth, behavior, and blood chemistry of captive animals.

Peixe-Boi (ISSN 0103-9431) has its editorial offices at the Centro Peixe-Boi/IBAMA, Av. Dom Pedro II, no. 3484, Joa~o Pessoa, Parai'ba, CEP 58040-440, Brazil. All submissions and correspondence regarding the journal should be directed to that address. No price for subscriptions is given.

We congratulate the editor and publishers of this welcome addition to the sirenian literature, and wish Peixe-Boi a successful future.

Conservation Recommendations. - The 5a. Reunio'n de Trabajo de Especialistas en Mami'feros Acua'ticos de Ame'rica del Sur, held in September of 1992 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, included a round-table meeting on the problems of sirenian conservation in Brazil. This meeting, coordinated by Ricardo J. Soavinski, recommended the following (translated from Portuguese):

1. A survey of the distribution and occurrence of the Amazonian manatee, and continuation of surveys of distribution and occurrence of West Indian manatees in Brazil.

2. Evaluation and quantification of incidental entanglements of manatees in fishing nets, as well as of intentional captures of manatees for food.

3. Evaluation of the quality of manatee habitats in Brazil. Evaluation of heavy-metal and organochlorine levels in sirenian tissues should be emphasized.

4. Monitoring of manatees in their principal areas of occurrence and in areas of demonstrated importance in their life cycles.

5. Studies of population dynamics and genetics in order to evaluate groups and populations.

6. Creation and establishment of Conservation Units in priority areas in order to preserve sirenians and the ecosystem as a whole.

7. Immediate creation of the Barra do Rio Mamanguape Environmental Protection Area in Parai'ba; of a conservation unit in the Rio Timonhas estuary, in Piaui'; and of another in the coastal region of Tabuba, in Alagoas - areas of demonstrated importance for conservation of the West Indian manatee in the Brazilian Northeast.

8. Development of environmental education campaigns in the area of distribution of sirenians, in order to prevent their extinction.

9. Greater participation of aquatic mammal specialists in discussions about sirenians and mustelids in future meetings and congresses.

10. Extension of these recommendations to other South American countries where sirenians occur and that possibly face the same problems as Brazil.

COLOMBIA

Conditions for Captive Manatees Improved. - Rubby Montoya of the Caribbean Stranding Network (CSN), Puerto Rico, reports on the status of a young female West Indian manatee, formerly held in very inadequate facilities at the Jardin Zoolo'gico de Barranquilla. Following unsuccessful attempts to have the animal transferred to other facilities, the latter institution has now been taken over from the city government by a new, privately-sponsored enterprise, the Fundacio'n Zoolo'gico de Barranquilla. This new foundation has promised to treat the manatee's welfare as its top priority, implementing some of CSN's recommendations for improvements in the animal's diet and contracting more capable zookeepers. Construction of a new holding facility and development of managerial and educational programs are being monitored by INDERENA (the Colombian government's natural resources agency) and by CSN.

Several other manatees held in CSN-sponsored semicaptive colonies in the towns of Magangue' and Pinto were also examined recently, and found to be in good health. With the help of CSN and the Save the Manatee Club (Florida), educational efforts in Magangue' are also bearing fruit. A "Club Amigos del Manati'", comprising 113 high school students, was created in October 1992. They have been spreading the word about manatee conservation to other schoolchildren, assisting in fieldwork, and representing their state at a science fair in Bogota', and are now seen by the Magangue' community as a symbol of conservation education for the new generation.

FLORIDA

Manatees "Introduced" into Florida??? - In the course of a rancorous debate like the one presently raging in Florida over boat speed limits, it is to be hoped that the parties to the discussion will try to get their facts straight. This ideal, however, is not always achieved, as seen from the inaugural issue of a newsletter published by the Boat Owners Association of The United States. In BOAT/U.S. Reports*Florida, Vol. 1, No. 1, April 1993, a letter to the editor from Jim Walters of Jupiter, Florida, is published with an editorial endorsement stating that "... every once in a while we get a letter on a controversial issue which is so well written that it deserves to be widely shared. Whether you agree or disagree with Mr. Walters, we would like to hear from you." Excerpts from Mr. Walters' letter follow:

"Having been in the marine industry in our state, I have seen countless numbers of rules and regulations regarding our waterways grow, many of them good and many of them bad.

"Here is my plan to solve the greatest boating issue placed before the Governor and Cabinet members: the dispute between the recreational boaters, the manatee and the DNR (Florida Dept. of Natural Resources).

"Years ago, manatees were brought here to Florida and released in the freshwater canals to eat and maintain the overgrowth of hyacinths. It seemed to be a good idea, but it really didn't work. Instead, the giant manatees worked their way through the canal network and ventured out into the intracoastal waterways and ocean. This was not part of the plan and they easily adapted to the salt water....

"Like all other endangered animals in the world, the manatee is faced with the same problems as the elephant, the rhinoceros and the buffalo. They have become endangered because they got in the way of man's progress....

"The current attempt to crush boating and restrict God's greatest mammal, man, from his greatest Florida pastime, boating and water sports, is absolutely ludicrous.

"Let's handle the manatee like all other endangered species we have dealt with in the past. We will select for them one of the largest and most beautiful lakes we have to offer in Florida. We will build them the ultimate habitat....

"Let's get our rescue team out there and gather up the remaining manatees and transport them to their new, safe home in the middle of the state where they can live happily ever after...." [Emphasis added]

Just for the record, the oldest currently known Trichechus fossils from Florida are Early Pleistocene in age (about 1.0-1.5 million years old), and the earliest remains of any sirenians in the state are Middle Eocene (around 45 million years old). In fact, at the moment Florida happens to be the only place on the planet where fossil sirenians are known from every geological epoch from Eocene to Recent!

If you would like to respond to the invitation of the editors of BOAT/U.S. Reports*Florida to comment on this letter, their address is 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304 USA. - DPD

INDONESIA

Dugong Seminar in Ambon. - During 7, 8 and 10 April 1993 an International Seminar was held in Ambon on Coastal Zone Management of Small Island Ecosystems, with special reference to turtle and dugong conservation.

The seminar was funded by the European Economic Community and was organized by the Environmental Studies Centre of the Pattimura University in Ambon, in cooperation with the National Science Institute LIPI, AID Environment Amsterdam, and the Centre for Environmental Science, Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Some 65 participants from Indonesia, Canada, USA, Australia, UK and The Netherlands participated in the seminar. Although its scope covered a wide range of subjects related to coastal zone management and marine conservation, the importance of the seminar for the conservation of Sirenia in Indonesia was the official recognition of the need for conservation and proper management of dugong populations in Indonesian coastal waters.

The seminar was attended by the Governor of the Moluccas Province, the Assistant Minister for the Environment (representing the Minister), the Ambassador of the EEC, and the Rector of the Pattimura University.

During his keynote speech the Assistant Minister stressed the importance of the conservation of endangered and vulnerable marine species such as sea turtles and dugongs, and the need for an integrated system of coastal zone management. Hans de Iongh presented an overview of the results of ongoing research on dugong feeding ecology in the Moluccas.

During workshop sessions, the participants elaborated on a large number of specific recommendations, such as the need for further inventories of dugong populations in Indonesian coastal waters, the establishment of a National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Dugongs in Indonesia, and the need to increase the number of Marine Conservation Areas.

The International Seminar also marked the start of a Coastal Zone Management Project, funded by the EEC. Drs. Henk Blaauw, project leader, and Mark van der Wal, ecologist, have been assigned to this project to assist the staff of the Environmental Studies Centre of the Pattimura University to implement coastal zone inventories, mapping, planning, and a range of pilot projects in support of coastal communities. A specific research programme, with cooperation between Dutch and Indonesian staff and students, covers the distribution, migration, and feeding ecology of dugongs in the Moluccas.

Further information on the project and the seminar proceedings can be obtained through: Drs. Henk Blaauw, Mark van der Wal, and Desi Norimarna, Environmental Programme Maluku (EPM), POB 221, Ambon, Indonesia (telephone 62-911-61236; fax 62-911-61455). - Hans de Iongh

OMAN

Does the Dugong Occur in Omani Waters? - From our knowledge of the present world distribution of the dugong (e.g., Thornback & Jenkins, 1982, IUCN Mammal Red Data Book; Bertram & Bertram, 1973, Biol. J. Linn. Soc.), it is not expected along the coast of eastern Arabia except as stray migrants, but there are only two references to this ever occurring: remarks attributed to W. Travis to the effect that there are "occasional strays at Mukalla and Kuria Muria Islands" (Bertram & Bertram, 1973: 307), and mentions of Bab el Mandeb in the past (Preen, 1989, MEPA Coastal & Marine Management Series (Saudi Arabia), Rept. #10, Vol. 1).

Oman has a coastline in excess of 1800 km between Yemen and the Arabian Gulf, so the question "Does the dugong occur in Omani waters?" has never been far from our thoughts. It gained prominence again during the preparation of the Whale Hall extension (opened in December 1992) to the Oman Natural History Museum at Muscat, where we were able to include one exhibit exclusively for the dugong, its range, status, habits and threats.

Beds of seagrasses along the coast of Oman are small, sparse and ephemeral (IUCN, 1988, Oman: Coastal Zone Management Plan - Quriyat to Ra's al Hadd, Report for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Oman), with the notable exception of the area of Barr al Hikman (opposite the island of Masirah), and the Ghubbat Hashish in particular. Here Salm (1991, Shoreland and Marine Environments, Sultanate of Oman, Report for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Oman) reports the densest and greatest variety of seagrasses in the Sultanate, with at least five genera present (Halodule, Halophila, Thalassia, Thalassodendron, and Syringodium), all of potential use to dugongs, which, however, have never been reported here.

When it was suggested by other States during the Gulf War that dugongs under threat in the Arabian Gulf might be translocated to Oman, we pointed out that though the area just mentioned seemed suitable, the fact that dugongs were not present was probably an indication of its unsuitability, particularly because this coast is affected by the very cold current generated by the strong winds of the southwest monsoon of summer.

So far, our searches on the islands and the coast of Oman during the last 17 years have yielded no evidence of dugongs. However, dugongs may very occasionally stray eastward in the Arabian Gulf to reach Omani shores in the Musandam region. Individuals may also occur in Omani waters when on passage between the populations of the Red Sea and Africa and those to the east, when they would not necessarily keep to shallow water or pause to feed.

Nevertheless, the report of "occasional strays ... on the Kuria Muria Islands" attributed to Travis is most unusual, and it would be good to have confirmation of this. - Michael D. Gallagher (Natural History Museum, P.O. Box 668, Muscat 113, Sultanate of Oman, fax 602735)

PUERTO RICO

New Newsletter. - The Caribbean Stranding Network (Red Cariben~a de Varamientos) has begun publication (in Spanish) of a newsletter entitled Alerta Neptuno. The first issue came out in March 1993, the second in June, and subsequent issues are scheduled to appear every three months. Regular features will deal with research, rescue and rehabilitation, and public education concerning endangered aquatic fauna, including manatees. The editor is Gloribel Delgado (Apartado 908, Lajas, PR 00667-0908).

As part of its development efforts, the Caribbean Stranding Network is also opening membership to supporters and sponsors (US$10/year student membership, $15 individual, $25 family, as well as higher-level sponsor and corporate memberships). The benefits of membership include a subscription to Alerta Neptuno. Further information can be obtained from the address above.

We wish the Stranding Network the best of luck with its newsletter and membership drive, and anticipate that these will make valuable contributions to marine conservation efforts in the Caribbean region.

Radiotelemetry and Hematology Projects. - During May 1993, biologists of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) Sirenia Project began the second stage of a manatee radiotracking project in Puerto Rico. Other participants included the Caribbean Stranding Network, the Department of Marine Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico, the FWS Caribbean Field Office, the Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Navy.

The project seeks to investigate the migratory patterns of manatees on Puerto Rico's east coast, specifically within the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base. Three males were tagged in 1992. According to Jim Reid and Bob Bonde, the project's directors, these animals often moved large distances in the course of a day, but individual movement patterns differed significantly. This year, three more manatees were tagged with transmitters.

Blood samples were also taken for a study of comparative hematology in manatees from Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Florida. This project, which will serve as Rubby Montoya's master's thesis, aims to establish normal blood-chemistry parameters for the Antillean manatee. Skin samples are also being taken for individual identification and studies of the genetics of the Caribbean manatee population. - (Translated and abridged from Alerta Neptuno 1(2), June 1993.)

THAILAND

Surrogate Mothers for Dugongs??? - The following excerpts are from an article that appeared in the Bangkok Post in early May 1993:

"WANTED: A tender-loving woman volunteer to breast-feed a baby dugong who has lost his mother. Mermaids need not apply.

"A stray baby dugong housed at the Marine Biological Centre in Phuket desperately needs a generous woman to be his 'mother', Fisheries Department chief Plodprasop Suraswadi told the Bangkok Post on May 3.

"The baby dugong needs a woman volunteer to be with him at least three hours a day to nurse him and breast-feed him, Mr Plodprasop said.

"Mr Plodprasop said the baby marine mammal was thought to be about six months old when he was caught unintentionally by fishing nets at night on April 22 off Phumriang beach in Chaiya District of Surat Thani Province....

"The baby dugong was 97 centimetres long and 14 kilogrammes in weight ....

"The problem, he said, is that the baby dugong refuses to take milk from a bottle and the centre officials may have to try breast-feeding from a woman...."

Sirenews looks forward to hearing from readers the denouement of this story.

VENEZUELA

Manatee Research Base Established. - Project Mermaid, an expedition from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UK), traveled to the Gulf of Paria, Sucre State, Venezuela (see Sirenews No. 19). Over a period of three months (July to September 1992) the team constructed a 9m x 4m floating platform. This was sailed over 100 km to the study river, Cano La Brea. Surveying from dugout canoes over a period of 20 days, the team made 14 records of manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the 30 km of navigable river. Of the 14 records, ten were considered to be "definite", two to be "probable" and two to be "possible". Seven of the records are of between one and five manatees feeding on floating and submerged vegetation (Pistia stratiotes, Lemna sp., and Myriophyllum sp.), a further two records are of manatees resting just below the surface, and three records are of manatees traveling along the cano. Examination of feces revealed grasses (Gramineae), black mangrove (Avicennia nitida), and Rhabdadenia biflora. Black mangrove only occurs in the first 7 km from the mouth of the cano; the feces containing black mangrove were collected 30 km upstream, indicating significant manatee movements.

The results from this brief survey indicate that Cano La Brea is an excellent wet-season habitat for manatees. Of great importance is the possibility raised by O'Shea et al. (Biol. Conserv. 46: 281-301, 1988) that in the dry season Cano La Brea forms a feeding sanctuary for manatees from a wider area. Cano La Brea, along with Rio Morichal Largo (Maturin State), are unique in the area in that they are deep freshwater streams that provide access to savanna feeding areas, unlike the majority of mangrove-lined canos which are accessible for feeding only at high tide. If manatees do use the cano as a refuge in the dry season, then Cano La Brea is of critical importance for the manatee in Venezuela.

Project Mermaid is applying for charity status. Members of the original team are returning to the floating platform in January 1994, to commence six months' continuous research on the river. This will include a feasibility study for the use of radiotelemetry, as well as research on the area's other wildlife. The floating platform is established as a research base and the team is interested in hearing from manatee specialists who would like to visit the area with research in mind. At present, providing sufficient funding can be found, Project Mermaid intends to support an Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Plan, to be undertaken by Provita, A Venezuelan non-governmental conservation society, starting in late 1994. Contact: Project Mermaid, Trees Cottage, Froxfield, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 1DN, UK (fax: 0263-71-3100). - Richard Cuthbert

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Sirenian Bibliography. - Domning's Bibliography and Index of the Sirenia and Desmostylia has been formally accepted for publication in Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. Funds are now being obtained to support its publication, which is expected to take place during 1994. Stay tuned for further bulletins, and please send me copies of your publications as promptly as possible, since the database will be closed sometime in the next few weeks. - DPD

ABSTRACTS

The following two abstracts, here translated from Portuguese, are of papers presented by personnel from INPA (Manaus, Brazil) at the 5a Reunio'n de Trabajo de Especialistas en Mami'feros Acua'ticos de Ame'rica del Sur, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 28 Sept.-2 Oct. 1992.

Hematocrit, Hemoglobin and Mineral Content of the Serum of the Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) (Kesa K. Lehti & Fernando C. W. Rosas). - We analyzed blood samples from 8 Amazonian manatees, 5 males and 3 females held captive at INPA, to determine hematocrit and hemoglobin. The serum of the same animals was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine the concentrations of zinc, sodium, copper, magnesium, manganese, iron, and calcium. The hematocrit varied between 23 and 34% (mean 27%), and the hemoglobin between 10.9 and 15.2%. The levels of zinc varied from 6.25 to 8.0 ppm; sodium, 7.209-8.331 ppm; copper, 0.51-0.91 ppm; magnesium, 26.08-26.74 ppm; iron, 1.11-2.00 ppm; and calcium, 39.5-56.5 ppm. Manganese was not present in any sample. The low hematocrit values obtained in this study, though similar to others obtained for the Amazonian manatee (32-35%, mean 33%), are probably due to monotony of the diet provided since 1986. These results are lower than the hematocrit values cited for T. manatus (39.3-46.6%), whereas the hemoglobin values are similar for both species. The sodium concentrations are almost double those cited in the literature for T. manatus (3.412-3.471 ppm; Irvine et al., 1980; Medway et al., 1982), whereas the magnesium values were half those found in the West Indian manatee (53.49 ppm). The calcium values are much lower than those for T. manatus (348.7-412.8 ppm). The concentrations of the other elements could not be compared due to lack of published data.

Growth of Amazonian manatee Calves Raised on Artificial Milk (Fernando C. Weber Rosas). - Techniques of raising Trichechus inunguis calves have been developed by the Laboratory of Aquatic Mammals of INPA, which has successfully raised calves orphaned by the illegal hunting that continues in the region. These animals are nursed for 1-2 years with powdered milk enriched with soy oil, using special nursing bottles. Size and weight data were analyzed for 15 manatees raised at INPA. The sexes were analyzed separately, but no significant differences between them were found. The equations obtained to express the growth in length (1) and weight (2), after testing the linearity of the relations, were:

Ct (cm) = 96.764 + 2.749 X (months), n=236, r=0.86 (1)

Pt (kg) = 11.696 + 3.502 X (months), n=262, r=0.86 (2)

The relation weight/length obtained for the 15 calves was:

Pt (kg) = 5.105x10-6.Ct3.31 (cm), n=233, r=0.97.

Although the growth data presented here pertain to animals raised on artificial milk, they are very similar to data for T. manatus nursed by their mothers (Odell, 1978).

The following abstracts are of papers and posters presented at the Sixth International Theriological Congress held in Sydney, Australia, 4-10 July 1993.

RECENT LITERATURE

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CHANGES OF ADDRESS

Asociacion Juvenil de Voluntarios en Investigacion y Desarrollo Ambientalista (VIDA), Apdo. 7-350-1000, San Jose, COSTA RICA (fax: 506-21-1411)

Dr. Muhammad Husni Azkab, Research & Development Centre for Oceanology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), P.O. Box 4801/JKTF, Jakarta 11048, INDONESIA

Dr. Robert L. Brownell, Jr., Southwest Fisheries Science Center, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, Calif. 92038-0271 USA

Caribbean Stranding Network, c/o Isla Magueyes Marine Laboratories, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 908, Lajas, PR 00667-0908 (fax: 809-899-5500)

Dr. Janet Lanyon, Zoology Dept., University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, AUSTRALIA

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