Cathy Beck
Cathy Beck is a Scientist Emeritus at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Science and Products
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.
Filter Total Items: 35
Movements and habitat use of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in the northern Gulf of Mexico
No abstract available.
Authors
Daniel Slone, Susan M. Butler, James P. Reid, Cathy Beck, Robert Bonde
Manatee population traits elucidated through photo-identification
Data on the demography and distribution of wildlife populations are important for informing conservation and management decisions; however, determination of life history traits and population trends often are elusive. All four extant species in the order Sirenia are deemed vulnerable to extinction; therefore, determining the demography and distribution for populations worldwide is crucial. Aerial
Authors
Cathy Beck
Social and reproductive behaviors
Sirenian social and reproductive behaviors lack much complexity or diversity. Whereas sirenians are usually sighted as solitary, or as cows with single calves, aggregations of many individuals can occur. Persistent social groupings are unknown. Home ranges are widely overlapping. Mating systems of dugongs (Dugong dugon) have been variously described as leks or as scramble promiscuity (mating herds
Authors
Thomas J. O'Shea, Cathy Beck, Amanda J. Hodgson, Lucy W Keith-Diagne, Miriam Marmontel
Evidence of a dietary shift by the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in the Indian River Lagoon inferred from stomach content analyses
Investigating the long-term fluctuations of the feeding ecology of megaherbivores such as sirenians is important, as any changes could be indicative of shifts in resource availability. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), eastern Florida, USA, is a critical habitat for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). However, the IRL has experienced a substantial decline in seagrass due to the pers
Authors
Aarin Conrad Allen, Cathy Beck, Danielle C. Sattelberger, Jeremy J. Kiszka
Diet composition of the African manatee: Spatial and temporal variation within the Sanaga River Watershed, Cameroon
The present study aimed to investigate the diet of African manatees in Cameroon to better inform conservation decisions within protected areas. A large knowledge gap on diet and seasonal changes in forage availability limits the ability to develop informed local management plans for the African manatee in much of its range. This research took place in the Sanaga River Watershed, which includes two
Authors
Aristide Takoukam Kamla, Dylan G. E. Gomes, Cathy Beck, Lucy W. Keith-Diagne, Margaret Hunter, Ruth Francis-Floyd, Robert K. Bonde
Diet of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Belize, Central America
Belize contains important habitat for Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) and provides refuge for the highest known population density of this subspecies. As these animals face impending threats, knowledge of their dietary habits can be used to interpret resource utilization. The contents of 13 mouth, 6 digestive tract (stomach, duodenum and colon), and 124 fecal samples were microscop
Authors
Aarin Conrad Allen, Cathy A. Beck, Robert K. Bonde, James A. Powell, Nicole Auil Gomez
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
Global research priorities to mitigate plastic pollution impacts on marine wildlife
Marine wildlife faces a growing number of threats across the globe, and the survival of many species and populations will be dependent on conservation action. One threat in particular that has emerged over the last 4 decades is the pollution of oceanic and coastal habitats with plastic debris. The increased occurrence of plastics in marine ecosystems mirrors the increased prevalence of plastics in
Authors
Amanda C. Vegter, Mário Barletta, Cathy A. Beck, José C. Borrero, Harry Burton, Marnie L. Campbell, Monica F. Costa, Marcus Eriksen, Cecilia Eriksson, Andres Estrades, Kirsten V. Gilardi, Britta D. Hardesty, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul, Jennifer L. Lavers, Bojan Lazar, Laurent Lebreton, Wallace J. Nichols, Christine A. Ribic, Peter G. Ryan, Qamar A. Schuyler, Stephen D. A. Smith, Hideshige Takada, Kathy A. Townsend, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Chris Wilcox, Lindsay C. Young, Mark Hamann
Book review: The requisite reference for the study of Sirenia
Sirenians often are given little or no notice in texts on marine mammals; whales, dolphins, and seals are what come to mind for most when a marine mammal is imagined. An order of only four extant species, the Sirenia is indeed the “other” frequently overlooked group of marine mammals. Dugongs and manatees remain unknown by much of the world, but to those that study these species, the members are e
Authors
Cathy A. Beck
Techniques for determining the food habits of sirenians
No abstract available.
Authors
Cathy A. Beck, Mark T. Clementz
Low 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 p
Authors
Kimberly Pause Tucker, Margaret E. Hunter, Robert K. Bonde, James D. Austin, Ann Marie Clark, Cathy A. Beck, Peter M. McGuire, Madan K. Oli
First report of a Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Cuba
Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Florida utilize intake and effluent canals of power plants as resting and thermoregulatory habitat. We report the use of a power plant canal in Cuba by a known Florida manatee, the first documented case of movement by a manatee between Florida and Cuba. In January, February, and April 2007, two manatees (mother and calf) were reported entering a power p
Authors
Anmari Alvarez-Aleman, Cathy A. Beck, James A. Powell
Science and Products
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.
Filter Total Items: 35
Movements and habitat use of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in the northern Gulf of Mexico
No abstract available.
Authors
Daniel Slone, Susan M. Butler, James P. Reid, Cathy Beck, Robert Bonde
Manatee population traits elucidated through photo-identification
Data on the demography and distribution of wildlife populations are important for informing conservation and management decisions; however, determination of life history traits and population trends often are elusive. All four extant species in the order Sirenia are deemed vulnerable to extinction; therefore, determining the demography and distribution for populations worldwide is crucial. Aerial
Authors
Cathy Beck
Social and reproductive behaviors
Sirenian social and reproductive behaviors lack much complexity or diversity. Whereas sirenians are usually sighted as solitary, or as cows with single calves, aggregations of many individuals can occur. Persistent social groupings are unknown. Home ranges are widely overlapping. Mating systems of dugongs (Dugong dugon) have been variously described as leks or as scramble promiscuity (mating herds
Authors
Thomas J. O'Shea, Cathy Beck, Amanda J. Hodgson, Lucy W Keith-Diagne, Miriam Marmontel
Evidence of a dietary shift by the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in the Indian River Lagoon inferred from stomach content analyses
Investigating the long-term fluctuations of the feeding ecology of megaherbivores such as sirenians is important, as any changes could be indicative of shifts in resource availability. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), eastern Florida, USA, is a critical habitat for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). However, the IRL has experienced a substantial decline in seagrass due to the pers
Authors
Aarin Conrad Allen, Cathy Beck, Danielle C. Sattelberger, Jeremy J. Kiszka
Diet composition of the African manatee: Spatial and temporal variation within the Sanaga River Watershed, Cameroon
The present study aimed to investigate the diet of African manatees in Cameroon to better inform conservation decisions within protected areas. A large knowledge gap on diet and seasonal changes in forage availability limits the ability to develop informed local management plans for the African manatee in much of its range. This research took place in the Sanaga River Watershed, which includes two
Authors
Aristide Takoukam Kamla, Dylan G. E. Gomes, Cathy Beck, Lucy W. Keith-Diagne, Margaret Hunter, Ruth Francis-Floyd, Robert K. Bonde
Diet of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Belize, Central America
Belize contains important habitat for Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) and provides refuge for the highest known population density of this subspecies. As these animals face impending threats, knowledge of their dietary habits can be used to interpret resource utilization. The contents of 13 mouth, 6 digestive tract (stomach, duodenum and colon), and 124 fecal samples were microscop
Authors
Aarin Conrad Allen, Cathy A. Beck, Robert K. Bonde, James A. Powell, Nicole Auil Gomez
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
Global research priorities to mitigate plastic pollution impacts on marine wildlife
Marine wildlife faces a growing number of threats across the globe, and the survival of many species and populations will be dependent on conservation action. One threat in particular that has emerged over the last 4 decades is the pollution of oceanic and coastal habitats with plastic debris. The increased occurrence of plastics in marine ecosystems mirrors the increased prevalence of plastics in
Authors
Amanda C. Vegter, Mário Barletta, Cathy A. Beck, José C. Borrero, Harry Burton, Marnie L. Campbell, Monica F. Costa, Marcus Eriksen, Cecilia Eriksson, Andres Estrades, Kirsten V. Gilardi, Britta D. Hardesty, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul, Jennifer L. Lavers, Bojan Lazar, Laurent Lebreton, Wallace J. Nichols, Christine A. Ribic, Peter G. Ryan, Qamar A. Schuyler, Stephen D. A. Smith, Hideshige Takada, Kathy A. Townsend, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Chris Wilcox, Lindsay C. Young, Mark Hamann
Book review: The requisite reference for the study of Sirenia
Sirenians often are given little or no notice in texts on marine mammals; whales, dolphins, and seals are what come to mind for most when a marine mammal is imagined. An order of only four extant species, the Sirenia is indeed the “other” frequently overlooked group of marine mammals. Dugongs and manatees remain unknown by much of the world, but to those that study these species, the members are e
Authors
Cathy A. Beck
Techniques for determining the food habits of sirenians
No abstract available.
Authors
Cathy A. Beck, Mark T. Clementz
Low 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 p
Authors
Kimberly Pause Tucker, Margaret E. Hunter, Robert K. Bonde, James D. Austin, Ann Marie Clark, Cathy A. Beck, Peter M. McGuire, Madan K. Oli
First report of a Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Cuba
Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Florida utilize intake and effluent canals of power plants as resting and thermoregulatory habitat. We report the use of a power plant canal in Cuba by a known Florida manatee, the first documented case of movement by a manatee between Florida and Cuba. In January, February, and April 2007, two manatees (mother and calf) were reported entering a power p
Authors
Anmari Alvarez-Aleman, Cathy A. Beck, James A. Powell