Ecologia do peixe-boi marinho (Trichechus manatus manatus) e seu relacionamento com as comunidades ribeirinhas no litoral sul do estado de Sergipe : avaliação para reintroduções de novos espécimes

• Autor(a) principal: Foppel, Ernesto Frederico da Costa
• Data de Publicação: 2010
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFS
• Texto Completo: https://ri.ufs.br/handle/riufs/4174
• topic: Trichechus manatus; Conservação; Habitat natural; Educação ambiental; População; Brasil; Trichechus manatus; Conservation; Natural habitat; Environmental education; Population; Brazil; CNPQ::OUTROS

The Antillean manatee, Trichechus manatus manatus, is the most endangered aquatic mammal in Brazil. Its current distribution in the country is restricted to the northern and northeastern coast, between the states of Amapá and Alagoas, with some discontinuities. A reintroduced manatee, known as Astro, has been living in Sergipe for more than ten years. It is one of the first animals released back into the wild by the reintroduction program created by the Manatee Project. The principal objectives of the present study were to evaluate the behavior of Astro, in particular his habitat use, the effects of the construction of the bridge over the Vaza-Barris River, which crosses his main range, and his relationship with the local communities, with a view to the development of management strategies adequate for the establishment of a local population of T.m. manatus. The research was based on the monitoring of Astro between November, 2006, and November, 2009, over a total of xx days, involving xx hours of direct observation. The animal s movements were based using a GPS, and a survey of the available dietary resources was carried out in the Vaza-Barris Estuary. To evaluate the relationship with the local community, 27 local residents were interviewed. The behavioral monitoring indicated normal patterns for the species, although the animal s habit of approaching boats was identified as a potentially serious problem, especially when it interfered with residents fishing activities. Despite the overall tolerance of most residents, a few cases of mistreatment were reported, indicated a clear need for guidance and tutoring in order to guarantee the peaceful coexistence of the animal and local communities. In contrast with expectations, the construction of the bridge did not appear to have had a significant negative effect on the animal s behavior, possibly because the main disturbance did not coincide with the principal area occupied by the animal. The two main conclusions of this research are that the study area appears to provide an adequate site for the establishment of a resident population of T.m. manatus, which would be a significant advance for the conservation of the subspecies, but also that this would require the careful deployment of an environmental awareness program in the local communities of river-dwellers.