2019-2020 Faculty Research Grants

Daniel Gonzalez (Biology)

Phase II of Amazonian Manatee Detection with Side-scan Sonar and Manatee Feeding Modality Experiments in Panama

Manatees, like many other animals that live in the intersection between humans and nature, have experienced severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and human caused mortality (poaching, entanglement, etc.) Currently all species of manatees are characterized as either Vulnerable or Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Manatee conservation is a complicated endeavor because it requires sound scientific data relating the ecology of the species, as well as an understanding of interaction with humans. My research has focused on both of these aspects with the aim to improve our ability to identify population trends and the threats that manatees currently face. One of the major challenges in studying manatee distribution and abundance is being able to accurately detect and count manatees. Visual surveys via boats or aircraft have low detection rates and highly variable detection biases. During my master’s work I tested the use of sonar to detect West Indian manatees and the technique has since been applied in dozens of locations with variable success. Here we propose to continue exploring the feasibility of this technique on Amazonian manatees in the western Amazon. Another challenge in manatee conservation is to understand how manatees find food in their natural environment. By gaining a better understanding of their feeding ecology we can design better conservation measures that take that knowledge into consideration. We propose to explore that question through careful experimentation with wild manatees in Panama.