Manatee Mortality in Puerto Rico

Tropical Conservation Science

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 2014

Oryx

We analysed 23 years of data on strandings of the Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus in Belize, documented by the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network, to examine the threats to this population. A total of 451 stranding incidents were reported, of which 376 (83.4%) cases were verified. A total of 286 (63.4%) of the incidents occurred within Belize District, where the number of strandings has almost tripled since 2009. Watercraft collisions accounted for the highest number of strandings, with 131 confirmed cases, and is the leading cause of anthropogenic mortality for this population. Collision with watercraft is an emerging and major threat to manatees in Belize, and is correlated with increases in human activity, in particular associated with tourism. This finding of high levels of manatee deaths in Belize is consistent with trends previously reported for manatees in Florida and Puerto Rico. This work can provide guidance to detect and address similar patterns of mortal...

Conservation Biology, 1997

Abstract: The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is distributed from the Atlantic coast of the United States to the center of Brazil along the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. The species’ current distribution is more fragmented than in the past, and manatee populations are generally less abundant than they were during the last century. In Mexico, there is no specific information about the size of the manatee populations. Hence, the objective of this study was to estimate the density and abundance of manatees in the Alvarado Lagoon System (ALS) in Veracruz using distance sampling. In total, 959 systematic line transects were surveyed using a small boat. These surveys covered 90% of the ALS. Manatee density and abundance for the entire ALS was estimated at 0.23 animals/km2 (CV 34.48%) and 121 manatees (CV 34.48%), respectively. These are the first density and abundance estimates for this lagoon system and for the State of Veracruz. The extremely low number of manatees supports the urgent implementation of effective conserva¬tion measures for the species to prevent extinction of this species in Veracruz. Key Words: West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus manatus, abundance, density, Veracruz, conservation, coastal management, Gulf of Mexico, Sirenia

Caribbean Journal of …, 2003

Frontiers in Marine Science

The Antillean manatee is categorized as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature primarily due to its low abundance. Further declines in abundance are expected due to a group of human related threats that include illegal hunting, fatal interactions with fishing gear, increasing watercraft traffic, and pollution. The nature of current threats is not well described for every critical population of manatees. In particular, threats to manatees have not been documented or evaluated in a systematic manner in coastal waters surrounding Cuba, which is a major reason why plans specifically addressing conservation of manatees in Cuba have not been implemented. To address this lack of information, we assessed patterns in various threats by reviewing reports of stranded (alive or dead) and captured manatees, with some reports being historical and others consistently available since 2001. For 94% of the contemporary cases, carcasses of dead animals were reported; the ...

Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 2017

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus mana-tus) is distributed from the Atlantic coast of the United States to the center of Brazil along the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. The species' current distribution is more fragmented than in the past, and manatee populations are generally less abundant than they were during the last century. In Mexico, there is no specific information about the size of the manatee populations. Hence, the objective of this study was to estimate the density and abundance of manatees in the Alvarado Lagoon System (ALS) in Veracruz using distance sampling. In total, 959 systematic line transects were surveyed using a small boat. These surveys covered 90% of the ALS. Manatee density and abundance for the entire ALS was estimated at 0.23 animals/km 2 (CV 34.48%) and 121 manatees (CV 34.48%), respectively. These are the first density and abundance estimates for this lagoon system and for the State of Veracruz. The extremely low number of manatees supports the urgent implementation of effective conservation measures for the species to prevent extinction of this species in Veracruz.

This research introduces a modern national security model for drones. This new model is called the Drones National Defense Platform (DNDP). We present a comprehensive strategic plan for the future use of drones in national defense and warfare. The DNDP focuses on the effectiveness of multi-level mega-data analysis frameworks to address military and national security challenges from a holistic perspective. The main motivation behind the creation of the DNDP is to provide a modern defense system that leverages air, maritime, and terrestrial drones to evaluate dynamic and complex potential conflicts, whether war, warlike situations, domestic conflicts, or border issues, under a wide range of possible strategies, efficiently defending or attacking any foreign target. Thus, the mission of the DNDP is to offer the army, navy, air force, intelligence, and governments an alternative defense approach. The DNDP is supported by two key pillars: the National Drones Defense Mega-Dynamic Disks Mapping (NDDMD-Mapping) and the National Security Mega-Disks Networks Mapping (NSMDN-Mapping).