The diet of the manatee (Trichechus manatus) in Puerto Rico
Mignucci-Giannoni AA and Beck CA. 1998. The diet of the manatee (Trichechus manatus) in Puerto Rico. Marine Mammal Science. 14(2):394-397
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is considered the most endangered marine mammal in Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni 1996). The population is protected b.y the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and by several Commonwealth of Puerto Rico laws (Rathbun et al. 1986, Mignucci-Giannoni 1989, USFWS 1995), and its management is mandated and outlined in a federal recovery plan drafted in 1986 (USFWS 1986). Manatees in Puerto Rico inhabit nearshore marine and estuarine areas, with the highest counts occurring on the east and south shores of the island (Powell et al. 1981, Rathbun et al. 1986). These areas contain extensive seagrass beds, relatively calm waters, and freshwater sources for drinking at river mouths and storm-drain discharges (Powell et al. 1981, Rathbun et al. 1986)
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Mignucci-Giannoni, Antonio; Beck, Cathy
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Diet, gastrointestinal sample, Marine Mammals, Plant Species