We appreciate your interest in USGS' Sirenia Project. To help inform members of the media and public, we have provided relevant publications, reports, and websites.
USGS scientists have devoted more than forty years to studying the biology and ecology of the West Indian manatee. Research conducted by our scientists is used to help inform management actions, including the recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's announcement to downlist the West Indian manatee from endangered to threatened. Here, you will find information on the manatee science conducted by USGS. For more information, please use the contacts provided.
Every few years, USGS conducts a comprehensive analysis on the the status and threats for the Florida manatee. Those reports can be found here:
Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2016
Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2012
A core stochastic population projection model for Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
A Quantitative Threats Analysis for the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
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Passive thermal refugia provided warm water for Florida manatees during the severe winter of 2009-2010
Health assessment and seroepidemiologic survey of potential pathogens in wild Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus)
A review of the key genetic tools to assist imperiled species conservation: analyzing West Indian manatee populations
Manatees mapping seagrass (USA & Puerto Rico)
Estimating parameters of hidden Markov models based on marked individuals: use of robust design data
Low genetic diversity and minimal population substructure in the endangered Florida manatee: implications for conservation
Monitoring oral temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) during capture and handling in the field
Seroepidemiology of TmPV1 infection in captive and wild Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Secretion of anti-Müllerian hormone in the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris, with implications for assessing conservation status
Accounting for non-independent detection when estimating abundance of organisms with a Bayesian approach
Evaluation of adrenocortical function in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Observations and relocation of a West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) off Bimini, The Bahamas
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Filter Total Items: 70
Passive thermal refugia provided warm water for Florida manatees during the severe winter of 2009-2010
Haloclines induced by freshwater inflow over tidal water have been identified as an important mechanism for maintaining warm water in passive thermal refugia (PTR) used by Florida manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris during winter in extreme southwestern Florida. Record-setting cold during winter 2009–2010 resulted in an unprecedented number of manatee deaths, adding to concerns that PTR may prAuthorsB.M. Stith, D. H. Slone, M. de Wit, H.H. Edwards, C.A. Langtimm, E.D. Swain, L.E. Soderqvist, J. P. ReidHealth assessment and seroepidemiologic survey of potential pathogens in wild Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus)
The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, inhabits fresh, brackish, and warm coastal waters distributed along the eastern border of Central America, the northern coast of South America, and throughout the Wider Caribbean Region. Threatened primarily by human encroachment, poaching, and habitat degradation, Antillean manatees are listed as endangerAuthorsKathryn Sulzner, Christine Kreuder Johnson, Robert K. Bonde, Nicole Auil Gomez, James Powell, Klaus Nielsen, M. Page Luttrell, A.D.M.E. Osterhaus, A. Alonso AguirreA review of the key genetic tools to assist imperiled species conservation: analyzing West Indian manatee populations
Managers faced with decisions on threatened and endangered wildlife populations often are lacking detailed information about the species of concern. Integration of genetic applications will provide management teams with a better ability to assess and monitor recovery efforts on imperiled species. The field of molecular biology continues to progress rapidly and many tools are currently available.AuthorsRobert K. Bonde, Peter M. McGuire, Margaret E. HunterManatees mapping seagrass (USA & Puerto Rico)
West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are secretive creatures. While some of their behaviours at winter aggregation sites in Florida are readily visible to the casual observer, many of their habits and movements are difficult to observe. They rely on submerged vegetation for nutrition, and seagrasses are one of their most important food sources.AuthorsDaniel H. Slone, James P. Reid, W. Judson Kenworthy, Giuseppe Di Carlo, Susan M. ButlerEstimating parameters of hidden Markov models based on marked individuals: use of robust design data
Development and use of multistate mark-recapture models, which provide estimates of parameters of Markov processes in the face of imperfect detection, have become common over the last twenty years. Recently, estimating parameters of hidden Markov models, where the state of an individual can be uncertain even when it is detected, has received attention. Previous work has shown that ignoring state uAuthorsWilliam L. Kendall, Gary C. White, James E. Hines, Catherine A. Langtimm, Jun YoshizakiLow genetic diversity and minimal population substructure in the endangered Florida manatee: implications for conservation
Species of management concern that have been affected by human activities typically are characterized by low genetic diversity, which can adversely affect their ability to adapt to environmental changes. We used 18 microsatellite markers to genotype 362 Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), and investigated genetic diversity, population structure, and estimated genetically effective pAuthorsKimberly Pause Tucker, Margaret E. Hunter, Robert K. Bonde, James D. Austin, Ann Marie Clark, Cathy A. Beck, Peter M. McGuire, Madan K. OliMonitoring oral temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) during capture and handling in the field
West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are captured, handled, and transported to facilitate conservation, research, and rehabilitation efforts. Monitoring manatee oral temperature (OT), heart rate (HR), and respiration rate (RR) during out-of-water handling can assist efforts to maintain animal well-being and improve medical response to evidence of declining health. To determine effects of captAuthorsArthur W. Wong, Robert K. Bonde, Jessica Siegal-Willott, M. Andrew Stamper, James Colee, James A. Powell, James P. Reid, Charles J. Deutsch, Kendal E. HarrSeroepidemiology of TmPV1 infection in captive and wild Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
In 1997, cutaneous papillomatosis caused by Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris [Tm]) papillomavirus 1 (TmPV1) was detected in seven captive manatees at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Florida, USA, and, subsequently, in two wild manatees from the adjacent Homosassa River. Since then, papillomatosis has been reported in captive manatees housed in other locations, but not inAuthorsMaria Gabriella Dona, Manuela Rehtanz, Nicole M. Adimey, Gregory D. Bossart, Alfred B. Jenson, Robert K. Bonde, Shin-je GhimSecretion of anti-Müllerian hormone in the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris, with implications for assessing conservation status
Environmental and anthropogenic stressors can affect wildlife populations in a number of ways. For marine mammals (e.g. the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris), certain stressors or conservation risk factors have been identified, but sublethal effects have been very difficult to assess using traditional methods. The development of 'biomarkers' allows us to correlate effects, such as imAuthorsRhian C. Wilson, John E. Reynolds, Dana L. Wetzel, Leslie Schwierzke-Wade, Robert K. Bonde, Kevin F. Breuel, William E. RoudebushAccounting for non-independent detection when estimating abundance of organisms with a Bayesian approach
Summary1. Binomial mixture models use repeated count data to estimate abundance. They are becoming increasingly popular because they provide a simple and cost‐effective way to account for imperfect detection. However, these models assume that individuals are detected independently of each other. This assumption may often be violated in the field. For instance, manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostAuthorsJulien Martin, J. Andrew Royle, Darryl I. MacKenzie, Holly H. Edwards, Marc Kery, Beth GardnerEvaluation of adrenocortical function in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
The study objectives were to determine the predominant manatee glucocorticoid; validate assays to measure this glucocorticoid and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); determine diagnostic thresholds to distinguish physiological vs. pathological concentrations; identify differences associated with sex, age class, female reproductive status, capture time, and lactate; and determine the best methods fAuthorsK.M. Tripp, J.P. Verstegen, C. Deutsch, Robert K. Bonde, M. de Wit, Charles A. Manire, J. Gaspard, K.E. HarrObservations and relocation of a West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) off Bimini, The Bahamas
West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are listed as vulnerable (IUCN Red List, 7 March 2009; Deutsch et al., 2008), with the subspecies Trichechus manatus latirostris and T. m. manatus (Florida and Antillean, respectively) considered endangered (IUCN Red List, 21 January 2011; Deutsch, 2008; Self-Sullivan & Mignucci-Giannoni, 2008). Manatees are not native to The Bahamas; however, sightings haAuthorsKelly Melillo-Sweeting, James P. Reid, Lester Gittens, Nicole Adimey, Jared Z. Dillet - News
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