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  October 21, 2016

  Demographic and Population Models to Assess Recovery and Status of the Endangered Florida Manatee

  Population models developed by USGS are the primary decision-support tools used for status assessments, and rely on estimates of adult survival and reproduction rates from mark-recapture studies.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  October 21, 2016

  Demographic and Population Models to Assess Recovery and Status of the Endangered Florida Manatee

  Population models developed by USGS are the primary decision-support tools used for status assessments, and rely on estimates of adult survival and reproduction rates from mark-recapture studies.

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  October 19, 2016

  Modeling, Estimation, and Adaptive Management of Florida Manatees

  The Challenge: Florida manatees are threatened by watercraft-related mortality, the potential loss of warmwater habitat, red tide events, and other anthropogenic factors. The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have regulatory authorities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and state statutes to recover manatees. To support...

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center

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  October 19, 2016

  Modeling, Estimation, and Adaptive Management of Florida Manatees

  The Challenge: Florida manatees are threatened by watercraft-related mortality, the potential loss of warmwater habitat, red tide events, and other anthropogenic factors. The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have regulatory authorities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and state statutes to recover manatees. To support...

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  October 16, 2016

  Modeling Past Variation in Florida Manatee Survival, Breeding, and Movements Rates to Establish Baselines for Aquatic Ecosystem and Restoration Research

  Long-term monitoring data in the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System (MIPS), developed and coordinated by WARC-Sirenia Project in collaboration with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory, are the basis for modeling manatee demography rates.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  October 16, 2016

  Modeling Past Variation in Florida Manatee Survival, Breeding, and Movements Rates to Establish Baselines for Aquatic Ecosystem and Restoration Research

  Long-term monitoring data in the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System (MIPS), developed and coordinated by WARC-Sirenia Project in collaboration with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory, are the basis for modeling manatee demography rates.

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  October 14, 2016

  West Indian Manatee Population Genetics

  Nuclear microsatellite markers have been developed and implemented on ~2,000 West Indian manatees. These markers provide individual genetic fingerprints for mark-recapture studies, population structure information for the conservation of unique or isolated populations, and pedigree and relatedness information for addressing inbreeding and breeding structure patterns.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  October 14, 2016

  West Indian Manatee Population Genetics

  Nuclear microsatellite markers have been developed and implemented on ~2,000 West Indian manatees. These markers provide individual genetic fingerprints for mark-recapture studies, population structure information for the conservation of unique or isolated populations, and pedigree and relatedness information for addressing inbreeding and breeding structure patterns.

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  October 11, 2016

  Manatee Health Assessment and Biomedical Studies

  A multi-agency effort assesses the health of manatees and provides baseline information on their health, reproductive status, and nutritional condition.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  October 11, 2016

  Manatee Health Assessment and Biomedical Studies

  A multi-agency effort assesses the health of manatees and provides baseline information on their health, reproductive status, and nutritional condition.

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  October 9, 2016

  Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)

  Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  October 9, 2016

  Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)

  Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.

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  October 5, 2016

  Structured Decision Making for Management of Warm-Water Habitat of Manatees

  Manatees are tropical to subtropical in distribution and, with few exceptions, Florida is the northern limit of their natural winter range. The availability of warm-water habitat during winter is critical for the future persistence of the population in Florida.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  October 5, 2016

  Structured Decision Making for Management of Warm-Water Habitat of Manatees

  Manatees are tropical to subtropical in distribution and, with few exceptions, Florida is the northern limit of their natural winter range. The availability of warm-water habitat during winter is critical for the future persistence of the population in Florida.

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  October 3, 2016

  Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

  USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

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  Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

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  October 3, 2016

  Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

  USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

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  August 1, 2016

  Monitoring and Assessing Effects of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) on the Florida Manatee

  Critical information predicting condition changes in manatee habitat resulting from the alteration of freshwater flows to estuaries is needed to develop the PSRP Detailed Design and PSRP Operations Plan components and complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  August 1, 2016

  Monitoring and Assessing Effects of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) on the Florida Manatee

  Critical information predicting condition changes in manatee habitat resulting from the alteration of freshwater flows to estuaries is needed to develop the PSRP Detailed Design and PSRP Operations Plan components and complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act.

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  August 1, 2016

  Seagrass Beds and Manatee Foraging Areas in the Ten Thousand Islands: Mapping and Characterizing by Incorporating Manatee GPS Tracking Data and Habitat Information

  Turbid water conditions make the delineation and characterization of benthic habitats difficult by traditional in situ and remote sensing methods. Consequently, only a small fraction of this valuable resource has been mapped or characterized.

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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  August 1, 2016

  Seagrass Beds and Manatee Foraging Areas in the Ten Thousand Islands: Mapping and Characterizing by Incorporating Manatee GPS Tracking Data and Habitat Information

  Turbid water conditions make the delineation and characterization of benthic habitats difficult by traditional in situ and remote sensing methods. Consequently, only a small fraction of this valuable resource has been mapped or characterized.

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• Multimedia
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  USGS Researcher with Manatee

  

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  Manatee in Florida Spring

  

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  Two manatees with radio transmitters attached

  

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  Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
• Publications
  Filter Total Items: 70

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  Year20232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995

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  December 6, 2016

  Morphometric body condition indices of wild Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

  In many species, body weight (W) increases geometrically with body length (L), so W/L3 provides a body condition index (BCI) that can be used to evaluate nutritional status once a normal range has been established. No such index has been established for Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris). This study was designed to determine a normal range of BCIs of Florida manatees by comparing W

  Authors

  Lauren T. Harshaw, Iskande V. Larkin, Robert K. Bonde, Charles J. Deutsch, Richard C. Hill

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  December 1, 2016

  Baseline reference range for trace metal concentrations in whole blood of wild and managed West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida and Belize

  The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is exposed to a number of anthropogenic influences, including metals, as they inhabit shallow waters with close proximity to shore. While maintaining homeostasis of many metals is crucial for health, there is currently no baseline reference range that can be used to make clinical and environmental decisions for this endangered species. In this study, wh

  Authors

  Noel Y. Takeuchi, Michael T. Walsh, Robert K. Bonde, James A. Powell, Dean A. Bass, Joseph C. Gaspard, David S. Barber

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  November 30, 2016

  Model description and evaluation of the mark-recapture survival model used to parameterize the 2012 status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

  This report provides supporting details and evidence for the rationale, validity and efficacy of a new mark-recapture model, the Barker Robust Design, to estimate regional manatee survival rates used to parameterize several components of the 2012 version of the Manatee Core Biological Model (CBM) and Threats Analysis (TA).  The CBM and TA provide scientific analyses on population viability of the

  Authors

  Catherine A. Langtimm, William L. Kendall, Cathy A. Beck, Howard I. Kochman, Amy L. Teague, Gaia Meigs-Friend, Claudia L. Peñaloza

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  September 22, 2016

  Post-release monitoring of Antillean manatees: an assessment of the Brazilian rehabilitation and release programme

  Mammalian reintroduction programmes frequently aim to reconnect isolated sub-populations and restore population viability. However, these long-term objectives are rarely evaluated due to the inadequacy of post-release monitoring. Here, we report the results of a unique long term telemetry-based monitoring programme for rehabilitated Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) reintroduced into

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  Iran C. Normande, Ana C. M. Malhado, James P. Reid, P.C. Viana Junior, P. V. S. Savaget, R. A. Correia, F. O. Luna, R. J. Ladle

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  April 7, 2016

  Influence of manatees' diving on their risk of collision with watercraft

  Watercraft pose a threat to endangered Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Mortality from watercraft collisions has adversely impacted the manatee population’s growth rate, therefore reducing this threat is an important management goal. To assess factors that contribute to the risk of watercraft strikes to manatees, we studied the diving behavior of nine manatees carrying GPS tags a

  Authors

  Holly H. Edwards, Julien Martin, Charles J. Deutsch, Robert G Muller, Stacie M. Koslovsky, Alexander J. Smith, Margie E. Barlas

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  March 16, 2016

  Seasonal response of ghrelin, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor I in the free-ranging Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

  Seasonal changes in light, temperature, and food availability stimulate a physiological response in an animal. Seasonal adaptations are well studied in Arctic, Sub-Arctic, and hibernating mammals; however, limited studies have been conducted in sub-tropical species. The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), a sub-tropical marine mammal, forages less during colder temperatures and may

  Authors

  Rachel L Tighe, Robert K. Bonde, Julie P. Avery

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  January 6, 2016

  Twenty-six years of post-release monitoring of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris): evaluation of a cooperative rehabilitation program

  The rescue, rehabilitation, and release of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) into the wild has occurred since 1974; however, a comprehensive evaluation of the outcomes of the releases has never been conducted. Herein, we examined data for 136 Florida manatees that were rehabilitated and released with telemetry tags between 1988 and 2013 to determine release outcome of each individu

  Authors

  Nicole M. Adimey, Monica Ross, Madison Hall, James P. Reid, Margie E. Barlas, Lucy W Keith Diagne, Robert K. Bonde

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  October 29, 2015

  A quantitative framework for estimating risk of collision between marine mammals and boats

  Speed regulations of watercraft in protected areas are designed to reduce lethal collisions with wildlife but can have economic consequences. We present a quantitative framework for investigating the risk of deadly collisions between boats and wildlife. We apply encounter rate theory to demonstrate how marine mammal-boat encounter rate can be used to predict the expected number of deaths associate

  Authors

  Julien Martin, Quentin Sabatier, Timothy A. Gowan, Christophe Giraud, Eliezer Gurarie, Scott Calleson, Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz, Charles J. Deutsch, Athena Rycyk, Stacie M. Koslovsky

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  May 20, 2015

  Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2012

  The endangered West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), especially the Florida subspecies (T. m. latirostris), has been the focus of conservation efforts and extensive research since its listing under the Endangered Species Act. On the basis of the best information available as of December 2012, the threats facing the Florida manatee were determined to be less severe than previously thought, eith

  Authors

  Michael C. Runge, Catherine A. Langtimm, Julien Martin, Christopher J. Fonnesbeck

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  January 26, 2015

  Convergent evolution of the genomes of marine mammals

  Marine mammals from different mammalian orders share several phenotypic traits adapted to the aquatic environment and therefore represent a classic example of convergent evolution. To investigate convergent evolution at the genomic level, we sequenced and performed de novo assembly of the genomes of three species of marine mammals (the killer whale, walrus and manatee) from three mammalian orders

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  Andrew D. Foote, Yue Liu, Gregg W.C. Thomas, Tomáš Vinař, Jessica Alföldi, Jixin Deng, Shannon Dugan, Cornelis E. van Elk, Margaret Hunter, Vandita Joshi, Ziad Khan, Christie Kovar, Sandra L. Lee, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Annalaura Mancia, Rasmus Nielsen, Xiang Qin, Jiaxin Qu, Brian J. Raney, Nagarjun Vijay, Jochen B. W. Wolf, Matthew W. Hahn, Donna M. Muzny, Kim C. Worley, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Richard A. Gibbs

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  January 1, 2015

  Inferring spatial and temporal behavioral patterns of free-ranging manatees using saltwater sensors of telemetry tags

  Diving or respiratory behavior in aquatic mammals can be used as an indicator of physiological activity and consequently, to infer behavioral patterns. Five Antillean manatees, Trichechus manatus manatus, were captured in Chetumal Bay and tagged with GPS tracking devices. The radios were equipped with a micropower saltwater sensor (SWS), which records the times when the tag assembly was submerged.

  Authors

  Delma Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez, Benjamin Morales-Vela, Daniel H. Slone, Janneth Adriana Padilla-Saldívar, James P. Reid, Héctor Abuid Hernández-Arana

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  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

  April 22, 2014

  Variation in the hindgut microbial communities of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris over winter in Crystal River, Florida

  The Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, is a hindgut-fermenting herbivore. In winter, manatees migrate to warm water overwintering sites where they undergo dietary shifts and may suffer from cold-induced stress. Given these seasonally induced changes in diet, the present study aimed to examine variation in the hindgut bacterial communities of wild manatees overwintering at Crystal Riv

  Authors

  Samuel D. Merson, Diane Ouwerkerk, Lisa-Maree Gulino, Athol Klieve, Robert K. Bonde, Elizabeth A. Burgess, Janet M. Lanyon

  By

  Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
• News
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  March 19, 2018

  New genetic test detects manatees' recent presence in fresh or saltwater

  Environmental DNA picks up traces of the elusive mammals’ saliva, skin, waste, or exhaled breaths.

   

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  November 24, 2017

  Serene Sirens: USGS Sea Cow Science

  It may be hard to believe the legend that sailors long-at-sea once considered manatees to be mermaids. The manatee nickname – the “Sea Cow” – which...

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  April 11, 2017

  Florida Manatees Likely to Persist For At Least 100 Years—US Geological Survey  

  Florida’s iconic manatee population is highly likely to endure for the next 100 years, so long as wildlife managers continue to protect the marine...

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  May 20, 2015

  Long-term Prognosis for Florida Manatees Improves

  The risk of extinction for the endangered Florida manatee appears to be lower, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey led study.

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