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A new genetics study just completed as part of my dissertation research has defined African manatee populations across their large range (21 countries) for the first time. Over eight years I collected 78 manatee tissue samples from eight countries and successfully isolated DNA from 63 of them in order to determine where distinct populations of the species occur. Collecting the samples was actually the hardest […]

There’s a good reason manatees are also known as Sea Cows. They’re often seen feeding in seagrass beds or along the banks of rivers, much as cows graze meadows on land. The Florida manatee, the most studied species, is believed to be a strict herbivore (although there have been occasional observations of them eating marine invertebrates, and recently fish). But during my ten years of work

At the end of January I finished packing up and left Florida, which definitely was the end of an era for me. I moved there in May 1998 to begin a job with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission running a manatee research field station in southwest Florida. After 6 years I left that job to pursue international manatee work and began working in Africa

I have no idea where the time went this past Fall! I apologize for my silence the past few months. I’m now wrapping up my work and life in Gainesville, FL and preparing for the big move back to Africa in March. I’ll be based in Senegal and am very excited to get back to African manatee fieldwork. Big things are coming for the African

It’s been a busy summer and autumn for the EcoGuards and Community leaders at Tocc Tocc Reserve in northern Senegal. The EcoGuards are now patrolling the reserve full time, and we’re fortunate to have raised enough funds for a second boat for the reserve, which allows more wildlife monitoring and patrols. The EcoGuards confiscated and destroyed the first illegal fish traps in the reserve (after

In late August, Aristide Kamla began his Fulbright scholarship towards his PhD at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. The college has just posted a very nice story about Aristide, which can be read here. I’m excited to continue collaborating with Aristide for African manatee baseline health and population studies in Cameroon!

It was a very happy and emotional day for me yesterday- I graduated with my PhD from the Aquatic Animal Health program, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida! Eight years of sample collection and analysis, and 5 years of PhD program are finished! I’m incredibly grateful to all the many collaborators both in Africa and the USA who worked so closely with

In the past few months several network members have been very active with training, educational outreach and data presentation activities. Here are a few brief updates! In April, Aristide Kamla held his largest training workshop yet in Cameroon. This workshop was specifically for Biology Masters students from the University of Dschang, where Aristide completed his Masters degree several years ago. One young manatee researcher from

Last Fall the local Gabonese NGO OELO (short for Oganisation Ecotouristique de Lac Oguemoue) began an educational campaign in Lambarene, the largest town on the Ogooue River in Central Gabon. The educational campaign is greatly needed, since Lambarene and the surrounding villages along the river many adjacent lakes are the center of manatee hunting in the country. OELO was founded by Cyrille Mvele (seen above