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WARC Scientists Honored for Decades of Research on Florida Manatee

By Wetland and Aquatic Research Center June 13, 2018

U.S. Geological Survey scientists have been honored as Recovery Champions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southeast Region for their long-term research efforts on the Florida manatee. 

Four members of the USGS’ Wetland and Aquatic Research Center’s Sirenia Project are recipients of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Southeast Region 2017 Recovery Champions Award, which honors FWS employees and partners for their efforts to advance the recovery of species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Bob Bonde (Emeritus), Cathy Beck, Howard Kochman, and Jim Reid have been recognized for their four decades of research on the Florida manatee that helped inform the decision by FWS to reclassify the West Indian manatee from endangered to threatened.

The USGS scientists have devoted their careers to studying the biology, life history, and ecological requirements of the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. The scientific achievements of the manatee researchers are internationally recognized and the groundbreaking methodologies and tools developed by the team are used by partners involved in sirenian science and conservation worldwide. The research of the USGS scientists and their partners has been essential for FWS and State management actions leading to the recovery of the species.

Read more: https://www.fws.gov/southeast/news/2018/05/congratulations-to-the-2017-recovery-champions-for-the-southeast-region/

For more information on USGS’ manatee science, please visit: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquatic-research-center-warc/science-topics/manatees

USGS WARC scientists honored as US Fish and Wildlife Service's Southeast Region's 2017 Recovery Champions for research on manate
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
The USGS scientists were honored at a ceremony at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on May 29, 2018. From left to right: FWS Southeast Region’s Deputy Regional Director and Acting Regional Director Mike Oetker; USGS Award Recipients Cathy Beck, Jim Reid, and Howard Kochman; and FWS Florida Manatee Recovery Coordinator Jim Valade(Public domain.)

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