Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:53:00.983Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reproductive success of Antillean manatees released in Brazil: implications for conservation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2022

Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer Attademo Open the ORCID record for Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer Attademo [Opens in a new window] ,
Iran Campello Normande Open the ORCID record for Iran Campello Normande [Opens in a new window] ,
Glaucia Pereira Sousa ,
Alexandra Fernandes Costa ,
João Carlos Gomes Borges Open the ORCID record for João Carlos Gomes Borges [Opens in a new window] ,
Ana Emília Barbosa de Alencar Open the ORCID record for Ana Emília Barbosa de Alencar [Opens in a new window] ,
Ernesto Frederico da Costa Foppel  and
Fábia de Oliveira Luna Open the ORCID record for Fábia de Oliveira Luna [Opens in a new window]
Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer Attademo*
Affiliation:
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos (ICMBio/CMA), Estrada do Forte Orange, S/N, Ilha de Itamaracá, PE 53.900-000, Brazil Departamento de Zoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal/PPBA, Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamento e Conservação/LECC, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/UFPE, Recife, PE 50.760-420, Brazil
Iran Campello Normande
Affiliation:
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Reserva Extrativista Marinha da Lagoa do Jequiá, Rua Santo Antonio, 886, Centro, Jequiá da Praias, AL 57244-000, Brazil
Glaucia Pereira Sousa
Affiliation:
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos (ICMBio/CMA), Estrada do Forte Orange, S/N, Ilha de Itamaracá, PE 53.900-000, Brazil
Alexandra Fernandes Costa
Affiliation:
Instituto Bicho D’água: Conservação Socioambiental, Travessa B, 183, COHAB, Gleba 2, Marambaia, Belém, PA 66623-311, Brazil
João Carlos Gomes Borges
Affiliation:
Fundação Mamíferos Aquáticos (FMA), Avenida Guimarães Peixoto, n 75, Sala 1108, Casa Amarela, Recife, PE 52.051-305, Brazil Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Monitoramento Ambiental, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, R. Mangueira, s/n, Rio Tinto, PB 58.297-000, Brasil
Ana Emília Barbosa de Alencar
Affiliation:
GISdrone Consultoria & Mapeamento Aéreo – GISdrone, Rua Conselheiro Nabuco, 1301, Recife, PE 52070-010, Brazil Programa de Pós-graduação em Geociências, Departamento de Geologia, Programa Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, PPGEOC/UFPE, Av. Prof. Moraes Rêgo, 1235, Recife, PE 50.670-901, Brazil
Ernesto Frederico da Costa Foppel
Affiliation:
PRODEMA (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente), Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n – Jardim Rosa Elze, São Cristóvão, SE 49100-000, Brazil
Fábia de Oliveira Luna
Affiliation:
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos (ICMBio/CMA), Estrada do Forte Orange, S/N, Ilha de Itamaracá, PE 53.900-000, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer Attademo, E-mail: niemeyerattademo@yahoo.com.br
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Actions to rescue, rehabilitate and release calves of manatees are the main initiatives and strategies for conservation of the species in Brazil. The survival rate of animals in a natural environment and the reproductive success, identified by birth records, are some of the indicators used to estimate the release success for manatees. This study evaluated the effectiveness of releases of West Indian manatees based on the reproductive success of rescued animals that were released back into the wild in Brazil. Twenty-two female manatees were released in the states of Alagoas (into an extinct area) and Paraíba (into an existent population) from 1994–2020. Six females gave birth to 13 calves, all in Alagoas State. The average age of the first calving event was 11.7 (±1.49) years and 8.0 (±1.41) years after release. Among the females that had more than one calving, the average was 3.6 (±1.18) years between each calving. All calves observed were born alive; nevertheless, three (23.1%) died a few weeks after birth. In general, females rehabilitated in captivity and released in the wild were able to reproduce, especially in protected areas. This study emphasizes the need to intensify actions for the conservation of manatees and their habitats in order to achieve healthier wild populations.

Keywords

Birthendangered speciesreleasereproductionsirenian
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 102 , Issue 3-4 , June 2022 , pp. 252 - 259
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adimey, N, Mignucci-Giannoni, AA, Auil-Gomez, NE, Silva, VMF, Alvite, CMC, Morales-Vela, B, Lima, RP and Rosas, FCW (2012) Manatee rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts as a tool for species conservation. In Hines, E, Reynolds, J, Aragones, L, Mignucci-Giannoni, AA and Marmontel, M (eds), Sirenian Conservation: Issues and Strategies in Developing Countries. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, pp. 205–217.Google Scholar
Adimey, NM, Ross, M, Hall, M, Reid, JP, Barlas, ME, Keith-Diagne, LW and Bonde, RK (2016) Twenty-six years of post-release monitoring of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris): evaluation of a cooperative rehabilitation program. Aquatic Mammals 42, 376–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alves, MD, Kinas, PG, Marmontel, M, Borges, JCG, Costa, AF, Schiel, N and Araújo, ME (2016) First abundance estimate of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Brazil by aerial survey. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 96, 955–966.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anzolin, DGC, Carvalho, PSM, Viana, PC, Normande, IC and Souto, AS (2014) Stereotypical behaviour in captive West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 94, 1133–1137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armstrong, DP, Seddon, PJ and Moehrenschlager, A (2019) Reintroduction. In Fath, BD (ed.), Encyclopedia of Ecology, 2nd edn. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 458–466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Attademo, FLN, Nascimento, JLX, Sousa, GP, Vergara-Parente, JE, Alencar, AEB, Freire, ACB, Oliveira, REM and Luna, FO (2020) Ocorrências de mamíferos aquáticos no estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Arquivos Ciências Do Mar 53, 33–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borges, JCG, Vergara-Parente, JE, Alvite, CMC, Marcondes, MCC and Lima, RP (2007) Embarcações motorizadas: uma ameaça aos peixes-boi marinhos. Biota Neotropica 7, 199–204.Google Scholar
Deutsch, CJ, Self-Sulivan, C and Mignucci-Giannoni, A (2008) Trichechus manatus: West Indian Manatee. In IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T22103A9356917.en (Accessed 24 May 2022).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Folkens, PA and Reeves, RR (2002) Guide to Marine Mammals of the World (National A). New York, NY: National Audubon Society.Google Scholar
Griffith, B, Scott, M, Carpenter, JW and Reed, C (1989) Translocation as a species conservation tool: status and strategy. Science 245, 477–480.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hartman, DS (1979) Ecology and Behavior of the Manatee (Trichechus manatus) in Florida. Jacksonville, FL: The American Society of Mammalogists.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hedrick, PW and Kalinowski, T (2000) Inbreeding depression in conservation. British Journal of Ophthalmology 101, 1524–1529.Google Scholar
ICMBio (2018) Livro Vermelho da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçada de Extinção. Brasília, DF: ICMBio.Google Scholar
IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019) Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Version 14. Standards and Petitions Committee, Vol. 1.Google Scholar
Jiménez, I (2005) Development of predictive models to explain the distribution of the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus in tropical watercourses. Biological Conservation 125, 491–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langtimm, CA, Beck, CA, Edwards, HH, Fick-Child, KJ, Ackerman, BB, Barton, SL and Hartley, WC (2004) Survival estimates for Florida manatees from the photo-identification of individuals. Marine Mammal Science 20, 438–463.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lightsey, JD, Rommel, SA, Costidis, AM and Pitchford, TD (2006) Methods used during gross necropsy to determine watercraft-related mortality in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 37, 262–275.Google Scholar
Lima, RP, Alvite, CMC, Vergara-Parente, JE, Castro, DF, Paszkiewicz, E and Gonzalez, M (2005) Reproductive behavior in a captive-released manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) along the Northeastern coast of Brazil and the life history of her first calf born in the wild. Aquatic Mammals 31, 420–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lipsey, MK, Matthew, FC, Seddon, PJ, Armstrong, DP and Maloney, RF (2007) Combining the fields of reintroduction biology and restoration ecology. Conservation Biology 21, 1387–1390.Google ScholarPubMed
Luna, FO (2013) Population genetics and conservation strategies for the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus Linnaeus, 1758) in Brazil (PhD thesis). Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brasil.Google Scholar
Luna, FO and Passavante, JZO (2010) Projeto Peixe-Boi/ICMBio. 30 Anos de Conservação de uma espécie ameaçada, 1st Edn. Brasilia, DF: ICMBio.Google Scholar
Luna, FO, Balensiefer, DC, Fragoso, AB, Stephano, A and Attademo, FLN (2018) Trichechus manatus Linnaeus, 1758. In ICMBio. Livro Vermelho da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçada de Extinção, Vol. II – Mamíferos. Brasilia, BR: ICMBio, pp. 103–109.Google Scholar
Marmontel, M (1995) Age and reproduction in female Florida manatees. In O'Shea, TJ, Ackerman, BB and Percival, HF (eds), Population Biology of the Florida Manatee. Washington, DC: National Biological Service, Information and Technology Report No. 1, pp. 98–119.Google Scholar
Normande, IC, Luna, FO, Malhado, ACM, Borges, JCG, Viana-Junior, PC, Attademo, FLN and Ladle, RJ (2015) Eighteen years of Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus releases in Brazil: lessons learnt. Oryx 49, 338–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Normande, IC, Attademo, FLN and Luna, FO (2016 a) Antillean manatee release program in Brazil. In Soorae, PS (ed.), Global Re-Introduction Perspectives: 2016 Case-Studies From Around the Globe, vol. 8. Gland: IUCN, pp. 162–165.Google Scholar
Normande, IC, Malhado, ACM, Reid, JP, Viana, PC, Savaget, PVS, Correia, RA, Luna, FO and Ladle, RJ (2016 b) Post-release monitoring of Antillean manatees: an assessment of the Brazilian rehabilitation and release programme. Animal Conservation 19, 235–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Odell, DK (1982) The West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus Linnaeus. In Chapman JA and Feldhamer GA (eds), Wild Mammals of North America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 828–837.Google Scholar
Olivera-Gómez, LD and Mellink, E (2005) Distribution of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) as a function of habitat characteristics, in Bahía de Chetumal, Mexico. Biological Conservation 121, 127–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pomeroy, PP, Twiss, SD and Robinson, KJ (2018) Reproductive behavior. In Würsig, B, Thewissen, JGM and Kovacs, KM (eds), Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 3rd edn. Burligton, MA: Academic Press, pp. 797–807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reep, RL and Bonde, RK (2021) The Florida Manatee Biology and Conservation, 2nd edn. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.Google Scholar
Reid, JP and O'Shea, TJ (1989) Three Years Operational use of Satellite Transmitters on Florida Manatees; Tag Improvements Based on Challenges From the Field. Landover: Service Argos.Google Scholar
Reid, JP, Rathbun, GB and Wilcox, JR (1991) Distribution patterns of individually identifiable West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida. Marine Mammal Science 7, 180–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, J III and Odell, DK (1991) Manatees and Dugongs. New York, NY: Facts on File.Google Scholar