263
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
M.R. Rossi-Santos, C.W. Finkl (eds.), Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research
in Latin America, Coastal Research Library 22,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56985-7_11
Chapter 11
West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus
in South America: Distribution, Ecology
and Health Assessment
Ana C.O. de Meirelles, Vitor L. Carvalho, and Miriam Marmontel
Abstract The West Indian manatee inhabits exclusively tropical waters of Atlantic
Ocean, from Virginia, in United States, to Alagoas, in Northeastern Brazil, in a fragmented way. In South America, low species density and difficulty to detect the animals that inhabit areas with murky waters, associated with a lower financial
investment in research in the past, lead to a delay in manatee research. However, in
the last decade, an increase in manatee research could be noted in the continent.
Nevertheless, a significant part of this information is available only on theses, conference abstracts, reports, etc. Thus, this chapter aims to gather and update important information on the species, mainly on distribution, spatial ecology, feeding
habits, genetics and health.
Keywords Sirenia • Abundance • Spatial ecology
11.1 Introduction
The West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus, is one of the four only extant species of the Sirenia order. The IUCN Red list considers the species as Vulnerable,
with a decreasing population, due to habitat loss and anthropogenic causes (Deutsch
et al. 2008). Many authors and the Society for Marine Mammalogy accept the
existence of two subspecies (Committee on Taxonomy 2016): Florida manatee,
T. m. latirostris, corresponding to animals in the United States.; and Antillean
A.C.O. de Meirelles (*) • V.L. Carvalho
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos (Aquasis),
Av. José Alencar, 150, Sesc IParana, 61627-010 Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil
e-mail: cameirelles@yahoo.com.br
M. Marmontel
Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá,
Estrada do Bexiga, 2584, Fonte Boa, 69553-225 Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
M.R. Rossi-Santos, C.W. Finkl (eds.), Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research
in Latin America, Coastal Research Library 22,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56985-7_11
Chapter 11
West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus
in South America: Distribution, Ecology
and Health Assessment
Ana C.O. de Meirelles, Vitor L. Carvalho, and Miriam Marmontel
Abstract The West Indian manatee inhabits exclusively tropical waters of Atlantic
Ocean, from Virginia, in United States, to Alagoas, in Northeastern Brazil, in a fragmented way. In South America, low species density and difficulty to detect the animals that inhabit areas with murky waters, associated with a lower financial
investment in research in the past, lead to a delay in manatee research. However, in
the last decade, an increase in manatee research could be noted in the continent.
Nevertheless, a significant part of this information is available only on theses, conference abstracts, reports, etc. Thus, this chapter aims to gather and update important information on the species, mainly on distribution, spatial ecology, feeding
habits, genetics and health.
Keywords Sirenia • Abundance • Spatial ecology
11.1 Introduction
The West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus, is one of the four only extant species of the Sirenia order. The IUCN Red list considers the species as Vulnerable,
with a decreasing population, due to habitat loss and anthropogenic causes (Deutsch
et al. 2008). Many authors and the Society for Marine Mammalogy accept the
existence of two subspecies (Committee on Taxonomy 2016): Florida manatee,
T. m. latirostris, corresponding to animals in the United States.; and Antillean
A.C.O. de Meirelles (*) • V.L. Carvalho
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos (Aquasis),
Av. José Alencar, 150, Sesc IParana, 61627-010 Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil
e-mail: cameirelles@yahoo.com.br
M. Marmontel
Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá,
Estrada do Bexiga, 2584, Fonte Boa, 69553-225 Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil