INTERPRETATON OF THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE WEST INDIAN MANATEE FIVE-YEAR REVIEW

In April 2007, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) completed a five-year status review for the West Indian Manatee including both subspecies: the Florida Manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, and the Antillean Manatee, T. m. manatus. This was an internal staff assessment incorporating the latest information from current recovery plans, peer-reviewed scientific publications, unpublished reports, field observations, and information and personal communications from agencies, biologists and experts. The review is a requirement by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and uses five criteria for evaluation: a) the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; b) over-utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; c) disease or predation; d) the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or e) other natural or man-made factors affecting its continued existence. Notice of the five-year review was made public in April 2005 through the Federal Register (Volume 70, Number 71).

At the forefront of the Service’s evaluation was the incorporation of a threats analysis developed by the US Geological Survey called the Core Biological Model (CBM). The model can be manipulated to incorporate changing levels of threat, specifically watercraft, availability of warm water, deaths due to locks/dams, entanglement and red tide. The model also addresses environmental, demographic and catastrophic stochasticity. Multiple scenarios were run through the model to estimate the possible effects of changing threats. The quantitative analysis calculated probabilities of quasi-extinction (a minimum population level where recovery is unlikely) at three minimum population levels (100, 250, and 500 adult manatees) and three timeframes (50, 100, and 150 years). The specifics of the manatee five-year evaluation and threats analysis can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/Manatee/manatees.htm.

According to FWS, the five-year evaluation is NOT a formal decision or a specific proposal that the manatee’s status should be changed. However, a change from endangered to threatened is their

UNION INTERNATIONALE POUR LA CONSERVATION DE LA NATURE ET DE SES RESSOURCES INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES Commission de la sauvegarde des especes-Species Survival Commission

Sirenews (ISSN 1017-3439) appears twice a year in April and October and is edited byCynthia R. Taylor and James A. Powell, Wildlife Trust, 1601 3^rd Street S., Suite F, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 USA. Sirenews is available online at www.sirenian.org and www.marinemammalogy.org.

recommendation, which is based on review of existing and most current information. There is no recommendation or requirement to reduce or modify any existing manatee protections. The review does, in fact, point out areas where there are deficiencies and recommends additional protection. The document also states that the formal proposal for reclassification will occur in the future and will be based on a variety of factors and priorities. The future proposal will likely occur when additional important information is available, particularly demographic data from southwestern Florida and more insights into the availability of warm water habitat. The review indicates that the downlisting to threatened could be skipped and a proposal may be made to remove the species completely from the endangered and threatened list if the updated information is positive. Alternatively, if the picture is gloomy, then manatees would remain as endangered and no formal recommendation would be made for a change in status. The review, as noted in the document itself, is recognition that the manatee population is doing better, but there still exists a number of important factors affecting their future which currently does not allow for formal action to be taken to change the listing status for manatees in Florida or Puerto Rico.

Under the ESA, the definition of an endangered species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A threatened species is one which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

The science and the scientists behind the CBM are excellent and the best data and information have gone into the modeling. The CBM and projections of future manatee populations with threats remaining equal,

i.e. status quo, show a steady decline that becomes accelerated at about 50 years, as a consequence of disappearance of warm water, with about an 8.5% chance of quasi-extinction (less than 250 animals on either coast) at around 100 years and 14% chance fifty years later. In the document there is no clear definition for foreseeable future given.

FWS has stated that to qualify for endangered status, manatees must be in imminent danger of extinction, without a timeframe given. Based on the FWS analysis, manatees are not on the brink of extinction and best fit the ESA definition of threatened rather than endangered. The CBM and threat analysis identified that the reduction of watercraft related mortality and limiting the loss of warm water would be the two key factors that would have the greatest positive impact for the recovery of manatees in Florida. They recommended 11 recovery actions for the Florida sub-species and 13 for the Antillean manatee. It was also determined that the current regulations, particularly Florida’s 2007 manatee management plan and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act provide an adequate framework for recovery and future downlisting.

There certainly is much to celebrate with regards to the manatee’s status in Florida. In three of the four regions of Florida, where there is adequate data, manatee populations show positive growth. Wildlife managers should feel good that conservation actions have provided adequate protection for populations to grow. The CBM and current estimated growth rates do seem to indicate that manatees in Florida are not on the verge of extinction. The threats, however, are far from under control and in some instances, e.g. warm-water issues, beyond the immediate authority of either FWS or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to directly manage. The review addresses these threats by evaluating whether regulations are in place and assumes they will be effective in reducing risk in the future. The Service is clear that regulatory mechanisms will be developed, monitored and improved as more information is available.

Southwestern Florida is currently data deficient and represents about 40% of the state’s manatee population. The southwest also has some of the highest levels of watercraft related mortality in the state, warm water concerns, and must deal with the effects of red tide. New information from that region could possibly drive the population trend line down. However, FWS remains hopeful that any new information will prove positive and have the opposite effect.

I believe FWS and FWC are intent on finding solutions to the recovery issues. The agencies have ongoing discussions with various state and federal organizations to develop and coordinate conservation actions. However, I remain somewhat dubious of their ability to effectively address and control the outcome of growing and future threats. This is not criticism of the FWS, per se, but rather concern for the reality of trying to manage agencies outside the direct oversight and authority of FWS or FWC.

The state’s population continues to grow and our regulatory and water resources are increasingly strained. The challenges of addressing watercraft usage, reduction of natural warm-water flow, managing red tide with its complexities, dealing with external authorities, conflicting interests, variables of natural systems, and political will and popular support—particularly if .the public and political perception is that manatees are no longer endangered—are immense. Already there are emerging implications for federal manatee funding from FWS. FWC funds for their manatee program through popular sales of specialty license plates have been steadily dropping. Are these funding issues related to changed perceptions about manatees in Florida? And if so, does it bode well for the future, particularly when management tries to tackle, with limited funding, some of the very complex issues such as the future of artificial and natural warm water? If in the public’s view manatees are no longer endangered, are they less apt to buy a manatee specialty plate and law-makers less likely to support appropriating funds for manatee recovery actions? These are not legal or policy questions and well beyond the scope of the review, but they are very real concerns in terms of the ability of agencies to act on the recovery of manatees.

Factor D of the plan acknowledges the need to monitor effectiveness of regulations. It is very important that we not accept the existence of regulations as concrete evidence that recovery criteria are being met. This would be analogous to accepting that it is safe to cross a busy road when speed limits are posted - personally I will look both ways to see if drivers are actually slowing down. Achievement of the intent behind regulations should be the benchmark for success, not the regulations themselves. Establishing minimum flows for springs is an excellent goal, but not adequate for manatee protection. Rather, maintaining those minimum flows is the appropriate metric.

Manatee populations are doing better in over half the state, however, we are uncertain about what is going on in an area that is estimated to represent 40% or more of the statewide population. Threats remain and are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to address as the human population continues to grow in Florida and there is more and more demand for resources. Are manatees out of the woods? No. Are they on the “brink” of extinction? Probably not. Are they threatened with extinction in Florida in the foreseeable future? This depends on your definition, but a 14% probability in 150 years (assuming threats don’t increase) appears high. Can the responsible agencies resolve recovery issues outside their direct authority in the near term? Probably not.

The position of FWS not to take further action on their recommendation of downlisting manatees from endangered to threatened is prudent. They are correct in asserting that there should be no change until, at a minimum, better population information from southwestern Florida can be incorporated into models. The current review uses a wealth of new biological data about manatees. Any future review and downlisting consideration should similarly incorporate and strongly consider a thorough analysis of how conservation actions and protective measures have and will effectively minimize watercraft deaths and maintain adequate warm water into the foreseeable future. –James “Buddy” Powell (powell@wildlifetrust.org)

CHANGES FOR SIRENEWS?

For over twenty years Sirenews has been provided free of charge to an international group of researchers, managers, educators and other interested parties. The initial need for a printed newsletter that could be accessed by people anywhere in the world was essential. The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission has been the main source of funding for this newsletter, and in recent years the only source of funding, for which we are grateful. With the expansion of internet access to essentially all corners of the world, and with the limited amount of funding available for such endeavors, we are considering limiting the distribution of the printed newsletter for the most part to libraries and those who cannot receive an electronic version. Before we make this significant change we would like feedback from our readership. Please email me at taylor@wildlifetrust.org with any thoughts about the future of Sirenews. Please remember that if you are advocating for the continuation of a printed newsletter, we would appreciate suggestions and commitments for funding. -CRT

NEW REPORTS

USGS Core Biological Model. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a report describing a core biological model (CBM) that can be used to forecast the population growth of the Florida subspecies of the West Indian manatee over time in four regions: the Upper St. Johns River, and the Northwest, Southwest, and Atlantic coasts. The model was developed in cooperation with scientists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and is meant to serve as a flexible tool for assessments that support state and federal decision-making. The model includes recent understanding of manatee population dynamics and estimates of life-history parameters, as well as assumptions about the future state of the environment, said Dr. Michael Runge, the lead author on the report and a scientist at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md. The model can also include annual variation in manatee survival and reproduction rates, effects of predicted changes in warm-water capacity, and catastrophes such as red tide. The report can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/manatee/

USFWS West Indian Manatee Five-Year Review (see pg.1). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Five-Year Review is available online at http://www.fws.gov/northflorida or may be requested by e-mail at manatee@fws.gov; by fax at 904/232-2404; by mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attn: Manatee Five-Year Review, 6620 Southpoint Drive, Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32216-0958; or by telephone at 904/232-2580.

Florida Manatee Management Plan. The second draft of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Manatee Management Plan is now available. Approximately 900 comments were received on the first draft. The second draft has been modified in a number of ways, including: emphasis and clarification that the FWC is not managing for a population decline; re-worded conservation goal, revised conservation objectives, and modified measurable biological goals; many areas were expanded in order to provide increased clarity based on public input; the legal framework was moved into the main document from the appendices; and all proposed tasks were combined into one table at the end of Chapter 11. The public comment period on this document will be May 7 – June 14^th, 2007. The document can be accessed at http://myfwc.com/manatee/MMP_draft2_4-12-07.pdf.

UPDATE ON IUCN RED LIST STATUS OF SIRENIANS

As reported in an earlier issue of Sirenews, in August 2005 the Sirenian Specialist Group convened a full-day symposium/workshop with the primary goal of developing formal justifications and recommendations regarding the threatened status of the world’s sirenian species and subspecies for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Based on the information and assessments presented at the symposium/workshop and additional data collection and analysis in the ensuing months, the Sirenian Specialist Group has recommended to IUCN the following Red List classifications for the sirenians: dugong Dugon dugong – Vulnerable (Red List criteria A2bcd); Amazonian manatee Trichechus inunguis – Vulnerable (A3cd); West Indian manatee T. manatus – Vulnerable (C1); West African manatee T. senegalensis – Vulnerable (A3cd; C1); Florida manatee

T. manatus latirostris – Endangered (C1); and Antillean manatee T. manatus manatus – Endangered (C1). In addition to the listings themselves, the Sirenia Specialist Group has compiled and processed the supporting documentation necessary to underpin these assessments using the SSC Species Information Service Data Entry Module. This information will be available online via the IUCN Red List website, both for reference purposes and further analysis by the Specialist Group, IUCN and other interested parties.

As an immediate response to the recommendations of the Specialist Group, two Sirenian taxa were added to the 2006 IUCN Red List: the dugong (Vulnerable) and the West African manatee (Vulnerable). The assessments for T. inunguis and T. manatus (plus subspecies) were held back as members of the IUCN’s Standards and Petitions Working Group requested clarification of some aspects of the assessments that were submitted.

With the great assistance of Dr. Chip Deutsch, Dr. Caryn Self-Sullivan (who recently and successfully defended her dissertation), and Dr. Tony Mignucci, the assessments for T. manatus, T. manatus latirostris, and

T. manatus manatus were re-written and are likely to be satisfactory to IUCN. Therefore, we expect that these taxa will be added to the 2007 Red List at the originally recommended levels. Similarly, Dr. Miriam Marmontel provided great help in addressing the assessment for T. inunguis, and a re-written version has been submitted to the IUCN in hopes that the Amazonian manatee can also be added to the 2007 Red List with a classification of Vulnerable, as originally recommended.

To all who contributed of their time and expertise to develop or polish the assessments, we express our deepest thanks. It is extremely important to have the various sirenian taxa represented at the appropriate classification on the Red List and to have these assessments backed up by the full suite of supporting documentation. We encourage anyone who wishes to contribute new information, or make corrections to existing data, to please contact us so that we can ensure that the information on the Red List remains current and up-to-date.

The 2007 IUCN Red List will be available online (www.iucnredlist.org) on 26 June 2007. - John E. Reynolds, III (reynolds@mote.org) and Michael Hoffmann (m.hoffman@conservation.org)

SIRENIAN SPECIALIST GROUP CO-CHAIR

I have been honored to serve as co-Chair of the Sirenian Specialist Group for several years, first with Buddy Powell and then with Benjamin Morales. In the past couple of years, in particular, it has been very satisfying to see the IUCN Red List assessments reach fruition, thanks to the efforts of a number of people.

I wish at this time to announce my resignation as co-Chair of the Group, effective 1 December 2007. My many obligations prevent me from providing the time and leadership that sirenians deserve. I hope that Benjamin will be willing to stay on as a co-Chair, and I suggest that Specialist Group members who attend the Cape Town workshop being organized by Helene Marsh, Buddy and Benjamin in association with the 17^th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals consider at that venue someone with professional credibility, energy and time to replace me. Thanks for the honor of serving in this position for the past few years. –John Reynolds (reynolds@mote.org)

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

The Society for Marine Mammalogy will be holding the 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals from 29 November to 3 December, 2007, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. For more information on the conference and pre-conference workshops including international sirenians and African marine mammals, please go to www.smmconference2007.org. Abstract submissions are due by 31 May 2007, and early registration begins on 15 July 2007.

The Society for Conservation Biology will hold their 21^st Annual Meeting

from 1-5 July 2007 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The call for papers and

posters is closed. For more information please go to www.nmmu.ac.za/scb/.

The American Society of Mammalogists will hold their 87^th Annual Meeting from 6-10 June 2007 at the Museum of Southwestern Biology in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. For additional information please go to asm007.unm.edu/index.html.

REPORT FROM THE MESOAMERICAN MANATEE SYMPOSIUM

The First Symposium for the Biology and Conservation of the Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Mesoamerica was held in Antigua, Guatemala on November 12, 2006, during the XI Annual Congress of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation. Organized by Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Leon David Olivera-Gomez, and Ester Quintana-Rizzo and sponsored by Sirenian International, with additional support from Robert E. Ford of Loma Linda University, the primary purpose of this symposium was to update current knowledge regarding the status and distribution of Antillean manatees in Mesoamerica. Representatives from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama were invited to present on the current status and distribution of manatees within their country. A special invitation was extended to a manatee researcher from Venezuela to participate at the meeting.

The symposium provided an opportunity for scientists in Mesoamerica to present results of their current work and to begin collaboration on multi-national projects to investigate the regional manatee population using molecular, aerial survey, and other methods. It also provided a friendly venue where young scientists and students could interact with veterans of the sirenian world. Fourteen individuals presented at the symposium representing every Mesoamerican country and Venezuela. Twenty-eight abstracts were submitted (some are presented below) and 22 oral or poster presentations were delivered. Participants were presented with a certificate and a CD containing the symposium program, a list of participants with their contact information, and a bilingual (English and Spanish) manatee necropsy manual. Attendees to the symposium fluctuated from 30 to 50 depending on the day and the presentation.

Following the formal presentations, a round table discussion was held to enhance collaboration between countries, resulting in formation of a Mesoamerican Manatee Research Workgroup. Representatives were selected (see below) and charged with coordination of a region-wide effort towards the study and conservation of manatees. One of the first projects proposed was a fine scale molecular study on manatees in the Mesoamerican region, with a recommendation that Mote Marine Laboratory and the USGS Sirenian Project Laboratory be invited to collaborate on this project. The research group also provided some general recommendations for the new Regional Management Plan for the West Indian manatee that is been developed by the United Nations Environmental Program.

Name	Country	Email
Benjamin Morales-Vela	Mexico	benjamin@ecosur-qroo.mx
Leon D. Olivera-Gomez	Mexico	leon.olivera@dacbiol.ujat.mx
Enrique Portilla	Mexico	eportilla@uv.mx
Nicole E. Auil	Belize	auil@wildlifetrust.org
Ester Quintana-Rizzo	Guatemala	equintan@marine.usf.edu
Heidy Garcia de la Vega	Guatemala	rbocas@defensores.org.gt
Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske	Honduras	dgonzalez01x@llu.edu
Carlos Espinosa	Nicaragua	c_espin@racsa.co.cr
Alexander Gomez	Costa Rica	gmanatusl@gmail.com
Kherson Ruiz	Panama	keruiz@cwpanama.net
Rafael Samudio	Panama	samudior@si.edu
Gaby Manzanilla	Venezuela	addagmf@hotmail.com

Participants and attendees walked away from this symposium with the latest information on the status and distribution of manatees in Mesoamerica. New technologies were presented, such as a non-invasive DNA extraction technique using a metal scraper and the use of sonar to detect manatees. The round table discussion resulted in a research workgroup, enabling better coordination of research and conservation efforts in Mesoamerica. Collaborations between countries will prevent redundancies in developing materials and techniques. One example is the conservation work done in the Mosquito region of Nicaragua where a scientist has produced coloring books designed to help children understand why manatees are in danger and how to protect them. Books were written in the local Mosquito language enabling these same materials to be used in the Mosquito region of Honduras. The workgroup plans to continue meeting at least once a year during the Mesoamerican congresses. -Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske (dgonzalez01x@llu.edu)

-Sirenian International is working with the Earthwatch Institute (EW) to secure funding for a similar symposium to be held in conjunction with an African Fellows EW Team to the new Manatee Project in Volta Lake, Ghana in November. African manatee and dugong scientists working at the grassroots level in their native countries of Africa are invited to contact Caryn Self-Sullivan (caryn@sirenian.org) for further details as they become available.

REPORT FROM A WORKSHOP ON THE CONSERVATION OF THE WEST AFRICAN MANATEE

From 18 to 20 December 2006, a workshop was held in Dakar, Senegal, for the development of a conservation strategy for the West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), which was recently registered as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. The first meeting of its kind in West Africa, the workshop was organized by the Wetlands International Africa Office in partnership with the Abidjan Convention Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting comes under the framework of activities of the West African Manatee Conservation Project initiated by the Regional Coastal and Marine Conservation Programme for West Africa (PRCM).

The objective of the meeting was to provide the foundations for a conservation action plan for the species. It also hosted the third Focal Points Forum of the Abidjan Convention, a key project. It united more than 60 experts from 15 countries in Africa and Europe. The meeting provided the opportunity for presentation and evaluation of the studies and basic surveys carried out on the ground in various PRCM countries, and the examination of the reports from signatory countries to the Abidjan Convention. Additional information on the status and protection of the manatee was also presented. During the three days, participants looked at several topics such as research studies, gaps in research, existing literature on the manatee throughout its range, and population sizes. The meeting facilitated the identification of conservation opportunities at local, national and regional levels, as well as the role of the various players.

It was shown during the discussions that the West African manatee is a “forgotten” mammal, considered by some as unimportant and without local value. Little research exists on the species although surveys were carried out in some areas of West Africa (Ivory Coast, Togo and the countries of the PRCM). This is mainly due to the lack of financial and logistical means and a lack of scientific expertise. The species is highly threatened due to hunting, destruction of its habitat, trade (meat), and the ignorance of local populations about its various heritage, ecological and scientific values.

Due to these many constraints, recommendations for strategic actions were formulated in the areas of wetlands policy and legislation improvement, ensuring a better scientific understanding of the species, applying research results to set up effective management and conservation systems for the West African manatee, developing pilot actions to safeguard the species and its habitat, training experts, and informing the public. The Wetlands International Regional Office for Africa was given the responsibility of facilitating the conservation strategy document for the West African manatee. -Mame Dagou Diop (Project Officer, Conservation of the West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), Project WI-PRCM, Dakar, Senegal, dagouwet@orange.sn)

WEST AFRICAN MANATEE GENETIC ANALYSIS: A REQUEST FOR SAMPLES

Very little is known about the population genetic structure of manatees in West Africa. As a part of two manatee research projects starting in Gabon and Angola, we are hoping to collaborate with researchers in an effort to analyze genetic samples throughout the range of the West African manatee. Fine-scale analyses will provide increased and much-needed baseline data for this species and can also assess the impact of by-catch/directed take. These analyses will facilitate the examination of individual identity, comparison of animals sampled from different lagoon and river systems, a regional evaluation of population structure for samples obtained throughout the range of West African manatees (hopefully from other sample contributors) and assigning population relatedness of West African manatees in comparison to other manatee species and populations. Such studies have recently been conducted involving detailed analyses of West Indian and Amazonian manatees (Garcia-Rodriguez et al. 1998; Cantanhede et al. 2005; Vianna et al. 2006). As noted above, we are seeking manatee samples from other West African countries and collaborators who would be interested in assisting with this larger initiative. We consider this collaboration essential to the success of the project. Samples will be analyzed by the Cetacean Conservation and Research Program (CCRP - a joint program of the American Museum of Natural History and the Wildlife Conservation Society) and in collaboration with researchers at the University of Florida. Molecular techniques and existing polymorphic primers for manatees and dugongs have been developed by the University of Florida and the Florida FWC. If you have manatee tissue samples and would like to contribute, please contact Lucy Keith and Tim Collins. Storage and transportation vials and preservatives will be provided. -Lucy Keith¹, Tim Collins², Howard Rosenbaum², and Bob Bonde³ (¹Wildlife Trust, 1601 Third Street South, Suite F, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, keith@wildlifetrust.org; ²Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Program, Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10460-1099, tcollins@wcs.org, hrosenbaum@wcs.org; ³USGS, Florida Integrated Science Center, Sirenia Project, 2201 NW 40^th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32605, rbonde@usgs.gov)

References Garcia-Rodriguez, A.I., B.W. Bowen, D. Domning, A.A. Mignucci-Giannoni, M. Marmontel, R.A. Montoya-Ospina, B. Morales-Vela, M. Rudin, R.K. Bonde, and P.M. McGuire. 1998. Phylogeography of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus): How many populations and how many taxa? Molecular Ecology 7:1137-1149.

Cantanhede, A.M., V.M.F. da Silva, I.P. Farias, T. Hrbek, S.M. Lazzarinis and J. Alves-Gomez. 2005. Phylogeography and population genetics of the endangered Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunguis Natterer, 1893 (Mammalia, Sirenia). Molecular Ecology 14:401-413.

Vianna, J.A., R.K. Bonde. S. Caballero, J.P. Giraldo, R.P. Lima, A. Clark, M. Marmontel, B. Morales-Vela,

M.J. De Souza, L. Parr, M.A. Rodriguez-Lopez, A.A. Mignucci-Giannoni, J.A. Powell and F.R. Santos. 2006. Phylogeography, Phylogeny and Hybridization in Trichechid Sirenians: Implications for Manatee Conservation. Molecular Ecology 15(2):433-447.

LOCAL NEWS

CUBA

First report of a Florida manatee documented on the North Coast of Cuba. On January 18, 2007, Anmari Alvarez-Alemán (Marine Research Center, Havana University) received a report that the previous evening a manatee cow/calf pair had entered the cooling channel of the Camilo Cienfuegos power plant in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. On a site visit, photographs of these manatees were taken, and three series of healed, white scars were noted on the cow. No other manatees were present. The pair stayed in the channel for three days and then apparently left as sea conditions calmed. On February 3, they were observed in the cooling channel again, but remained for only three hours.

In late February 2007 James Powell (Wildlife Trust) visited Cuba and Alvarez-Alemán shared the images of the manatees. Since he suspected that a scarred manatee using a Cuban power plant might have a known history in Florida, the images were sent to Cathy Beck (USGS Sirenia Project) for comparison to known Florida manatees documented in the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System (MIPS). The MIPS is a computerized database of manatee sightings and images that includes approximately 2,000 individual manatees, some documented for as long as 40 years.

Comparison of the images resulted in an unequivocal match to a manatee first photographed by Powell in Crystal River, on Florida’s northwest coast, in December 1979 (MIPS ID CR131). CR131 has an extensive sighting history in Florida (47 sightings) from December 1979 until January 2005 when she was last photographed by R.K. Bonde (USGS Sirenia Project), again in Crystal River. All her Florida sightings are along the northwest coast, extending from the Homosassa River, just south of Crystal River, to the Wakulla River in Florida’s panhandle. Speculation abounds about how and why she ended up in Cuba, and where her calf was conceived. We plan to further investigate the possibilities! -Anmari Alvarez-Alemán¹, James A. Powell², and Cathy A. Beck³ (¹Marine Research Center, Havana University, Cuba; ²Wildlife Trust, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; ³Cathy A. Beck, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Sirenia Project, Florida, USA)

ECUADOR

Manatees in Añangucocha, Yasuni NP, Ecuador? -We are involved in a conservation and ecotourism project called Napo Wildlife Center (www.ecoecuador.org), located at Añangucocha Lake, within Yasuni National Park, in Amazonian Ecuador. The project is in direct partnership with the local Quichua community, which has carefully protected the wildlife resource for over a decade now. This is roughly the 4th largest nonseasonal lake in Amazonian Ecuador and is well over one kilometer in diameter. There have been very few sightings of manatees, but there are also vast areas of floating vegetation that the manatees could be under. We would like to have some idea of how many manatees are in the lake and their conservation status, and would like to determine if we could regularly show them to eco-tourists (without harming them).

We would like to request the following information: 1) Does anyone have data on Amazonian Manatees in Añangucocha? 2) What are their preferred foods (with the intent of making sure the habitat is preferable)? 3) Is there any other kind of habitat management that manatees could benefit from? 4) Are there any techniques for increasing the predictability of sightings, or for documenting their presence? 5) Is anyone looking for a place to reintroduce Amazonian Manatees? 6) Is anyone interested in doing research on Manatees in Añangucocha? Thank you for any information you can provide. -Chris Canaday (omaere@gmail.com), Jiovanny Rivadeneira (jiovannyrivadeneira@yahoo.com) and Ethan Borg ( ethanborg@yahoo.com)

GABON

West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) 2006 Survey Activities in Gabon. -West African manatees face numerous threats throughout their range, and the lack of basic knowledge on their distribution, behavior and ecology is considered a great hindrance to their conservation. There are no recent estimates of abundance and the impact of hunting and habitat destruction are poorly documented, but the trade in manatee bushmeat is well known in Gabon and elsewhere in West Africa (Powell 1996, Reeves 1988, WCS-Gabon unpublished data). We have begun a multi-year, collaborative project comprising field research, interviews, and market survey components to assess manatee status and distribution in Gabon. This project is also designed to provide local biologists and resource managers suitable training in manatee research techniques, and opportunities to put lessons into practice. The resulting data and analyses will provide much needed information on status and will provide a basis for further conservation action for this species.

Our objectives for the first surveys were to collect baseline manatee use data for selected lagoon and river systems, to conduct interview surveys at these sites, to begin training local biologists in manatee research and conservation techniques, to review existing information and to assess threats to identified populations. During seven weeks in September and October 2006, we were able to survey manatee habitat throughout Gabon, including national parks in the north, central and southern regions of the country, inland freshwater systems and coastal estuarine environments, protected areas and areas where hunting still occurs unchecked. L. Keith was able to talk to a wide range of people about manatees, from current and former hunters, fishermen and bushmeat vendors to park managers, scientists, NGOs and private citizens, all of whom had valuable perspectives. The numbers of manatees observed at several sites during these preliminary surveys is encouraging, particularly at Loango National Park where we conducted 19 surveys over two weeks that resulted in 12 sightings, including a mating herd. We were also able to collect genetic and skeletal samples from 4 carcasses at Loango National Park and to begin training park staff there in manatee field research techniques.

In 2007 and beyond, we plan to continue and expand our research, including surveys of additional lagoon and river systems, GPS tagging of manatees at selected sites to look at fine-scale habitat use and behavior of these very elusive animals, increased market and interview surveys to ascertain biological, cultural and economic issues, further in-depth training for local biologists, and continued collection and initial analysis of genetic and other biological samples from manatee bushmeat, carcasses and any live manatees captured for tagging. -Lucy Keith¹ and Tim Collins² (¹Wildlife Trust, 1601 Third Street South, Suite F, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, keith@wildlifetrust.org; ²Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Program, Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10460-1099, tcollins@wcs.org)

References

Powell, J.A. 1996. The distribution and biology of the West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis, Link

1795). Unpublished report. United Nations Environmental Program, Regional Seas Program, Ocean and

Coastal Areas, Nairobi, Kenya. Reeves, R.R., D. Tuboku-Metzger and R.A. Kapindi. 1988. Distribution and exploitation of manatees in Sierra

Leone. Oryx 22 (2):75-84.

GHANA

Recent West African Manatee Research in Afram Volta Lake, Ghana. -In 1964, the world’s largest manmade lake, the Volta Lake, was created as a result of the installation of a dam on the Volta River for hydroelectricity. The flooded lands above the dam include the lowlands surrounding one of the Volta’s tributaries, the Afram River. Cut off by the Akosombo Dam from the main Volta River, which feeds into the Atlantic Ocean, the resulting submerged forest offers potential habitat for manatees. Reports were made of an isolated West African manatee population surviving in this region.

During sixteen days in April and June 2004, a preliminary survey was completed on the Afram Arm of the Volta Lake (in the Eastern Region of Ghana) to establish West African manatee prevalence in that locality of the Volta Lake. The area used by manatees was defined and mapped using GPS coordinates, and the conservation status of the manatee was established. Methods included: 1) Formal and informal interviews of key informants such as manatee hunters and fishermen, 2) Photographic records of manatee remains, hunting and trapping artifacts, and manatee damaged fishing nets, 3) Direct opportunistic observation of manatee and manatee feeding evidence, and 4) Abundance of preferred manatee food items.

Results confirmed the presence of a manatee population. Overall, the unique flooded forest habitat has created an ecosystem that supports the co-existence of manatees and humans, with partially submerged stumps characteristically scattered throughout the watercourse. This distinctive situation restricts the use and speed of motorized boats, defines the fishing methods that will be successful, and provides a slow-moving water course and safe haven for manatees. They are well known to the fishing people living along the Afram Arm of the Volta, known as ‘laale’ or ‘enor’ in Ewe and ‘laluuko’ in Ada. Fishermen come in contact with them regularly through their fishing practices, which include swimming under water in the setting and removal of fishing nets, and the use of non-motorized, dugout canoes.

However, anthropogenic activity in the locality appears intensive, with several main concerns for the long term survival of the species: 1) Hunting pressure – planned hunting appears to be minimal, but remains a potential threat to the survival of manatee in the area.

2) Fishing practices – certain fishing practices appear to be in conflict with manatee feeding and travel behavior, and may have adverse effects on the long-term survival of manatees in the area such as: a) the removal of floating vegetation for certain methods of fish harvesting, thereby altering the aquatic habitat; b) the competition for access to aquatic vegetation from fishermen using live vegetation as habitat for certain fish harvesting methods resulting in reduced access to feeding resources; and c) the use of purse seine nets for harvesting the fingerling ‘one-man thousand’ fish species, thereby resulting in the accidental trapping and by-catch of manatee.

Legal protection has been established for manatees in Ghana, and the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission prohibits trade and hunting of manatees. However, the enforcement of wildlife laws protecting the manatee is frustrated by a lack of resources, manpower, and limited awareness of existing regulations. In 2004, the NCRC survey team documented historic evidence that a small number of individuals have hunted manatees in the Afram catchments. The team concluded that manatee hunting did not appear to be a major livelihood strategy, and may be brought under control by working with the individuals concerned. Furthermore, through education and environmental awareness, it would be possible to support local people to make adjustments in their fishing and farming practices to reduce conflict with the species.

Further study was completed in April 2006, when international manatee scientist, Caryn Self-Sullivan, and the NCRC field research team undertook an 8-day field investigation of the same Volta Lake manatee population using the upper Afram Arm. This expedition furthered investigations from 2004 and aimed to investigate the viability of the manatee population and the feasibility of using the Earthwatch Research Model to help stem deleterious anthropogenic impacts on the population. A follow up survey was conducted over 7 days in June 2006 to share findings from the April field work with the local communities and to learn more about the level of interest in a potential conservation initiative for the West African manatee. Communities were unanimous in their support for an endeavor that could bring potential alternative economic opportunities to the depressed area.

Through this follow up field work, it was determined that the Volta Lake manatee population represents an opportunity to advance our breadth and depth of scientific knowledge related to insular populations of endangered species in general and West African manatees in particular. The research has the potential to significantly enhance the conservation status of the West African manatee in Ghana over the next 3 years through greater understanding of population status, distribution, behavioral ecology parameters, and anthropogenic impact. The project can increase awareness and reduce human/manatee conflict in the shoreline fishing communities; enhance local capacity and Ghanaian expertise with regards to this species; and improve economic and social conditions in the project communities. The West African manatee is a charismatic species that could be central to the development of eco-tourism efforts at the Volta Lake, offering economic benefits to the local inhabitants while simultaneously meeting conservation objectives. – Donna Sheppard (Sanctuaries Advisor, Nature Conservation Research Centre, P.O. Box KN 925, Accra, Ghana; djsheppa@yahoo.com)

MEXICO

First records of long-distance manatee movements between Mexico and Belize. -Belize and the Mexican state of Quintana Roo share one of the largest populations of manatees in the Caribbean (O’Shea and Salisbury, 1991; Morales-Vela et al., 2000). In 2004, Benjamin Morales-Vela and Janneth Padilla-Saldívar from the Mexican manatee research project from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), with technical assistance from James Reid and Susan Butler from the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Sirenia Project, initiated a study of manatee movements in Chetumal Bay (CHB), Mexico, using satellite-monitored GPS tags. This project received funds from the Mexican Federal Government (Project SEMARNAT-CONACYT-1128) and Dolphin Discovery Group. As this was the first time that satellite-monitored tags were used in manatee studies in Mexico, the Mexican researchers spent time at the USGS Sirenia Project in Gainesville, FL, to learn how to use this new technology. To assist this project, two marine biologists from Chetumal, Rafael Estrada-Anaya and Gerardo Rodríguez-Martínez, were trained at ECOSUR to conduct manatee captures, radio-tracking, manatee monitoring, and tag maintenance.

From 2004 to 2006, four male and five female manatees were captured and tagged with Argos-linked GPS tags in northwestern CHB. Two of these,“Tizoc”, a 292 cm adult male, and “Rafael”, a 228 cm subadult male, made long distance movements between CHB and Belize.

“Tizoc” remained near his CHB capture area for one month after his tagging in March 2006. He then moved south 260 km along the mainland shore of Mexico and Belize, arriving in Southern Lagoon (SL), a wildlife sanctuary located on the central coast of Belize, after traveling for 12 days. After two months in SL, “Tizoc” began a rapid return to CHB, arriving at the same area were he was captured within six days. He then spent two and half months in CHB before returning to SL within nine days.

After tagging, “Rafael” remained on the west coast of CHB from March to May 2006 before rapidly moving south along the same coastal route as “Tizoc”. “Rafael” covered 285 km in eight days from CHB to South Stann Creek, close to Placencia Lagoon, Belize, where the tag broke free. Placencia Lagoon has one of the highest numbers of manatees in Belize (Morales-Vela et al., 2000).

A manatee tracking project in Belize, lead by James Powell and Nicole Auil with Wildlife Trust in collaboration with Robert Bonde from the USGS Sirenia Project, has been studying manatees in SL and the cays near Belize City since 1996 (Auil, 2006). When “Tizoc” and “Rafael” traveled to Belize in 2006, Wildlife Trust staff helped track “Tizoc” in SL and recovered the GPS tag of “Rafael”, which was found by a local fisherman near South Stann Creek in May 2006. “Tizoc” lost his tag near Belize City in February 2007. We appreciate the cooperation of Wildlife Trust and Belize authorities for their assistance in the recovery of these GPS tags.

The movement pattern from CHB to Belize for the two male manatees was very similar. They both made directed, continuous moves along the shoreline between discrete manatee habitats. The northwestern side of CHB in Mexico and SL in Belize are important manatee habitats for these countries. Our data are the first records of long distance manatee movements along the Mexico-Belize coast. They also show regional connectivity among areas of localized manatee occurrence with movements between distant sites, and site fidelity for some individuals to multiple sites.

International cooperation between Mexico and Belize will be essential to conserve this important western Caribbean manatee population. Since 1992, ECOSUR and the Coastal Zone Management Project of Belize, followed by the National Manatee Working Group of Belize in 1996, have collaborated with experts from Mexico and the U.S. to develop research and conservation priorities. This new information about regional manatee movements emphasizes the need for strengthening the collaboration between Mexico and Belize. Benjamin Morales-Vela¹, Janneth Padilla-Saldívar¹ , Jim Reid² and Susan Butler² (¹El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Av. Centenario km 5.5. Chetumal, Q. R., México. C. P. 77900. Tel.: 983-8350440. E-mail: benjamin@ecosur-qroo.mx, janetaps@yahoo.com; ²U. S. Geological Survey. Florida Integrated Science Center. 2201 NW 40th Terrace. Gainesville, FL, USA 32605. Office: 352-264-3546. E-mail: jreid@usgs.gov, Susan_Butler@usgs.gov)

References Auil, N. E. 2006. Dry season manatee captures in Belize - March 2006. Sirenews 45:8-9. Morales-Vela, B., Olivera-Gómez, D., Reynolds III, J. E., & Rathbun, G. E. 2000. Distribution and habitat use

by manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Belize and Chetumal Bay, México. Biological

Conservation 95: 67-75.

O’Shea, T. J., & Salisbury, C. A. 1991. Belize, a last stronghold for manatees in the Caribbean. Oryx 25 (3): 156-164.

New Observations of Manatees off the Northern Coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. -A group of six large, presumably adult manatees was observed by the first author during aerial surveys for whale sharks off the northern coast of Quintana Roo, in the Yucatán Peninsula (YP) on 16 August, 2006. A second group of five large manatees was observed in the same area on September 8. Both groups were sighted on the northern side of Laguna Chakmochuk (21º 25’ 29” N, 86º 53’ 51” W), about 32 km north of Cancun, Mexico. In both sightings the manatees appeared to be resting. It is likely that the two sightings involved the same group of animals because it is uncommon to see manatees in that area. Previous data from aerial surveys of manatees from 1992 to 1996, and again in 2000, show that manatee abundance is low along the northern and western coasts of YP (Morales y Olivera, 1997; Morales et al 2003).

Historical information suggests that prior to 1970 manatees were commonly observed in groups (including calves) in coastal regions of the northern YP associated with fresh water resources. Some of the possible causes for population decline after 1970 suggested by local fishermen include hunting and entanglement in fishing gear (Morales et al 2003). Currently, most of the coastal areas of the YP that have appropriate habitats for manatees are designated Natural Protected Areas which now minimizes such threats. It would prove useful to start a new set of aerial surveys along the coast of Quintana Roo to determine if these two groups of manatees observed north of Cancun are the result of recent manatee movements from the central and southern coasts of Quintana Roo where manatees are more abundant. With 19 years of committed manatee conservation activities in the latter areas, it is possible that the manatees are becoming re-established in areas that were natural habitats in the past. -Oscar Reyes Mendoza¹ and Benjamin Morales-Vela² (¹CINVESTAV Unidad Mérida Km. 6 Antigua carretera a Progreso Apdo. Postal 73, 97310, Mérida, Yuc., México; ²El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Av. Centenario km 5.5. Chetumal, Q. R., México. C. P. 77900; E-mail: bioskar@yahoo.com.mx; benjamin@ecosur-qroo.mx)

References

Morales-Vela B. and D. Olivera-Gómez. 1997. Distribución del manatí

(Trichechus manatus) en la costa norte y centro-norte del estado de Quintana Roo, México. Anales del

Instituto de Biologia, UNAM. Serie Zoología Vo. 68, No.1: 153-164. Morales-Vela B., Padilla-Saldivar J. A., and Mignucci-Giannoni A. A. 2003.

Status of the Manatee (Trichechus manatus) along the Northern and Western Coasts of Yucatán

Peninsula, Mexico. Caribbean Journal of Science, Vol. 39, No. 1: 42-49.

SENEGAL

The Manatee & the Fishermen of the Senegal River: Survey Report. –The following is the abstract from a report contributed to the management plan for West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) population conservation. For a summary of the report in English or the entire report in French please contact the authors.

Between the 1st and 25th of October 2006, a survey was conducted about manatees (Trichechus senegalensis) among the fishermen communities along the Senegal River, from the Djoudj's National Park to the Malian border. Four main subjects were investigated: 1) the status and distribution of West African manatees along the Senegal River; 2) the biology, ecology and ethology of the manatees; 3) the utilization of manatees by the human populations along the river; 4) the cultural importance of the manatees in the fishermen communities. Data were collected in 42 villages and analysed in a detailed report written in French. The report gives recommendations in order to contribute to the management plan for West African manatee population conservation currently coordinated by Wetlands International. Recommendations fall under three main categories: 1) monitoring of Senegal River manatees population(s); 2) research in West African manatee biology, ecology and ethology; and 3) conservation, education, and ecotourism. This project was carried out in partnership by Noé Conservation, Wetlands International and the Department of Nature & Wildlife of Senegal. -Antoine Cadi & Julien Marchais (Association Noé Conservation, Responsable “Conservation de la biodiversité”, Email : acadi@noeconservation.org, julienmarchais@free.fr)

ABSTRACTS

The following abstracts are from oral and poster presentations at the First Symposium for the Biology and Conservation of the Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Mesoamerica (see pg. 6). These abstracts are English translations of abstracts that will appear this month in Mesoamerica v11.1. We would like to thank Haydee Dominguez Tejo (Centro de Investigaciones de Biología Marina de la Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD-CIBIMA), Dominican Republic) for the translations: