| evidence of two genetic clusters of manatees with low genetic diversity in mexico and implications for their conservation. | the antillean manatee (trichechus manatus manatus) occupies the tropical coastal waters of the greater antilles and caribbean, extending from mexico along central and south america to brazil. historically, manatees were abundant in mexico, but hunting during the pre-columbian period, the spanish colonization and throughout the history of mexico, has resulted in the significantly reduced population occupying mexico today. the genetic structure, using microsatellites, shows the presence of two pop ... | 2011 | 21681472 |
| seroepidemiology of tmpv1 infection in captive and wild florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris). | in 1997, cutaneous papillomatosis caused by florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris [tm]) papillomavirus 1 (tmpv1) was detected in seven captive manatees at the homosassa springs wildlife state park, florida, usa, and, subsequently, in two wild manatees from the adjacent homosassa river. since then, papillomatosis has been reported in captive manatees housed in other locations, but not in wild animals. to determine tmpv1 antibody prevalence in captive and wild manatees sampled at various ... | 2011 | 21719832 |
| diaphragmatic hernia and right-sided heart enlargement in a florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris). | postmortem evaluation of a florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) revealed cold stress lesions and previous watercraft trauma that included broken ribs, a diaphragmatic hernia, an enlarged vena cava, and right-sided cardiomegaly. we discuss these findings and present a possible pathogenesis for the cardiomegaly. | 2012 | 23060518 |
| blood mineral concentrations in manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris and trichechus manatus manatus). | limited information is available regarding the role of minerals and heavy metals in the morbidity and mortality of manatees. whole-blood and serum mineral concentrations were evaluated in apparently healthy, free-ranging florida (trichechus manatus latirostris, n = 31) and belize (trichechus manatus manatus, n = 14) manatees. toxicologic statuses of the animals and of their environment had not been previously determined. mean mineral whole-blood (wb) and serum values in florida (fl) and belize ( ... | 2013 | 23805546 |
| diagnostic stages of the parasites of the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris. | limited information is available on diagnostic stages of parasites in florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris). we examined 67 fecal samples from captive and wild manatees to define the diagnostic stages of the parasite fauna known to occur in florida manatees. parasite eggs were freshly extracted ex utero from identified mature helminths and subsequently characterized, illustrated, and matched to those isolated from fecal samples. in addition, coccidian oocysts in the fecal samples wer ... | 2014 | 24116863 |
| variation in the hindgut microbial communities of the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris over winter in crystal river, florida. | the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris, is a hindgut-fermenting herbivore. in winter, manatees migrate to warm water overwintering sites where they undergo dietary shifts and may suffer from cold-induced stress. given these seasonally induced changes in diet, the present study aimed to examine variation in the hindgut bacterial communities of wild manatees overwintering at crystal river, west florida. faeces were sampled from 36 manatees of known sex and body size in early winter wh ... | 2014 | 24215517 |
| assessement of serum amyloid a levels in the rehabilitation setting in the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris). | the acute phase protein serum amyloid a (saa) has been previously shown to have value as a biomarker of inflammation and infection in many species, including manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris). in the current study, results from an automated assay for saa were used in a rehabilitation setting. reference intervals were established from clinically normal manatees using the robust method: 0-46 mg/l. more than 30-fold higher mean saa levels were observed in manatees suffering from cold stress ... | 2013 | 24450049 |
| sublethal red tide toxin exposure in free-ranging manatees (trichechus manatus) affects the immune system through reduced lymphocyte proliferation responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress. | the health of many florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) is adversely affected by exposure to blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, karenia brevis. k. brevis blooms are common in manatee habitats of florida's southwestern coast and produce a group of cyclic polyether toxins collectively referred to as red tide toxins, or brevetoxins. although a large number of manatees exposed to significant levels of red tide toxins die, several manatees are rescued from sublethal exposure and are suc ... | 2015 | 25678466 |
| influence of manatees' diving on their risk of collision with watercraft. | watercraft pose a threat to endangered florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris). mortality from watercraft collisions has adversely impacted the manatee population's growth rate, therefore reducing this threat is an important management goal. to assess factors that contribute to the risk of watercraft strikes to manatees, we studied the diving behavior of nine manatees carrying gps tags and time-depth recorders in tampa bay, florida, during winters 2002-2006. we applied a bayesian formu ... | 2016 | 27049326 |
| normal hemostatic profiles and coagulation factors in healthy free-living florida manatees ( trichechus manatus latirostris). | hemostatic disorders presumptively play an important role in the pathophysiology of several important disease conditions in the florida manatee ( trichechus manatus latirostris). prior to pursuing such clinical implications, it is essential to establish normal hemostatic profiles in clinically healthy animals. during annual health assessments of free-living manatees organized by the us geological survey, blood samples were collected from 12 healthy animals from the atlantic coast and 28 from the ... | 2016 | 27525595 |
| detection of hydrodynamic stimuli by the postcranial body of florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris). | manatees live in shallow, frequently turbid waters. the sensory means by which they navigate in these conditions are unknown. poor visual acuity, lack of echolocation, and modest chemosensation suggest that other modalities play an important role. rich innervation of sensory hairs that cover the entire body and enlarged somatosensory areas of the brain suggest that tactile senses are good candidates. previous tests of detection of underwater vibratory stimuli indicated that they use passive move ... | 2017 | 28194485 |
| development of a quantitative pcr assay for measurement of trichechid herpesvirus 1 load in the florida manatee ( trichechus manatus latirostris). | trichechid herpesvirus 1 (trhv-1) is currently the only known herpesvirus in any sirenian. we hypothesized that stress may lead to recrudescence of trhv-1 in manatees, thus making trhv-1 a potential biomarker of stress. we optimized and validated a trhv-1 real-time quantitative probe hybridization pcr (qpcr) assay that was used to quantify trhv-1 in manatee peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs). average baseline trhv-1 loads in a clinically healthy wild florida manatee ( trichechus manatus ... | 2017 | 28467282 |
| investigating seagrass in toxoplasma gondii transmission in florida (trichechus manatus latirostris) and antillean (t. m. manatus) manatees. | toxoplasma gondii is a feline protozoan reported to cause morbidity and mortality in manatees and other marine mammals. given the herbivorous nature of manatees, ingestion of oocysts from contaminated water or seagrass is presumed to be their primary mode of infection. the objectives of this study were to investigate oocyst contamination of seagrass beds in puerto rico and determine the seroprevalence of t. gondii in antillean (trichechus manatus manatus) and florida (t. m. latirostris) manatees ... | 2017 | 29256429 |
| helminths of the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris, with a discussion and summary of the parasites of sirenians. | we examined 215 florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) at necropsy to determine the helminth fauna. six species were identified: heterocheilus tunicatus (nematoda: ascaridoidea); anoplocephala sp. (cestoda: cyclophyllidea); and 4 species of trematodes, cochleotrema cochleotrema (digenea: opisthotrematidae), chiorchis fabaceus (digenea: paramphistomatidae), nudacotyle undicola (digenea: nudacotylidae), and moniligerum blairi (digenea: opisthotrematidae). seventy-three percent of the ma ... | 1988 | 3397825 |
| disseminated toxoplasmosis toxoplasma gondii in a wild florida manatee trichechus manatus latirostris and seroprevalence in two wild populations. | marine mammals are important indicators for ecosystem health and serve as sentinel species for infectious agents including zoonoses. histological examination of tissues from a stranded florida manatee trichechus manatus latirostris revealed protozoal cysts in the cerebrum and intrahistiocytic tachyzoites in the liver and caudal mesenteric lymph node. disseminated toxoplasma gondii infection was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ... | 2016 | 27901507 |
| carbon and nitrogen stable isotope turnover rates and diet-tissue discrimination in florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris). | the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) is a herbivorous marine mammal that occupies freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats. despite being considered endangered, relatively little is known about its feeding ecology. the present study expands on previous work on manatee feeding ecology by providing critical baseline parameters for accurate isotopic data interpretation. stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were examined over a period of more than 1 year in the epidermis of res ... | 2009 | 19617427 |
| methods used during gross necropsy to determine watercraft-related mortality in the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris). | between 1993 and 2003, 713 (24%) of 2,940 dead florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) recovered from florida waters and examined were killed by watercraft-induced trauma. it was determined that this mortality was the result of watercraft trauma because the external wound patterns and the internal lesions seen during gross necropsy are recognizable and diagnostic. this study documents the methods used in determining watercraft-related mortality during gross necropsy and explains why th ... | 2006 | 17319124 |
| theoretical detection ranges for acoustic based manatee avoidance technology. | the west indian manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) has become endangered partly because of watercraft collisions in florida's coastal waterways. to reduce the number of collisions, warning systems based upon detecting manatee vocalizations have been proposed. one aspect of the feasibility of an acoustically based warning system relies upon the distance at which a manatee vocalization is detectable. assuming a mixed spreading model, this paper presents a theoretical analysis of the system d ... | 2006 | 16875213 |
| intussusception in a florida manatee. | an intussusception resulting from an embedded fishhook and a mass of nylon cord, monofilament line, and wire was determined to be the cause of death in a florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris). pathologic findings are given along with information on bacteria (edwardsiella tarda), pesticide residues (dde, pcb's and dieldrin), and parasites (chiorchis fabaceus). | 1975 | 1195505 |
| characterization of kidney epithelial cells from the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris. | the west-indian manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris, is a herbivorous marine mammal found in the coastal waters of florida. because of their endangered status, animal experimentation is not allowed. therefore, a cell line was developed and characterized from tissue collected during necropsies of the manatees. a primary cell culture was established by isolating single cells from kidney tissue using both enzymatic and mechanical techniques. primary manatee kidney (mk) cells were subcultured fo ... | 2001 | 11515973 |
| isolation and characterization of microsatellite dna markers in the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) and their application in selected sirenian species. | | 2000 | 11123632 |
| brevetoxicosis in manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) from the 1996 epizootic: gross, histologic, and immunohistochemical features. | in 1996, at least 149 manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) died in an unprecedented epizootic along the southwest coast of florida. at about the same time, a bloom of the brevetoxin-producing dinoflagellates, gymnodinium breve, was present in the same area. grossly, severe nasopharyngeal, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, and cerebral congestion was present in all cases. nasopharyngeal and pulmonary edema and hemorrhage were also seen. consistent microscopic lesions consisted of catarrhal rhinitis ... | 2017 | 9547868 |
| analysis of aerial survey data on florida manatee using markov chain monte carlo. | we assess population trends of the atlantic coast population of florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris, by reanalyzing aerial survey data collected between 1982 and 1992. to do so, we develop an explicit biological model that accounts for the method by which the manatees are counted, the mammals' movement between surveys, and the behavior of the population total over time. bayesian inference, enabled by markov chain monte carlo, is used to combine the survey data with the biological mod ... | 1997 | 9192449 |
| managing endangered species within the use-preservation paradox: the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) as a tourism attraction. | a significant challenge to wildlife managers in tourism settings is to provide visitors with opportunities to observe rare and endangered wildlife while simultaneously protecting the target species from deleterious impacts. nearly 100,000 people annually visit crystal river, florida, usa to observe and swim with the florida manatee, an endangered species. this research aimed to investigate and describe human-manatee interactions in a tourism context, to understand the salient issues related to s ... | 2006 | 16362492 |
| fishery gear interactions from stranded bottlenose dolphins, florida manatees and sea turtles in florida, u.s.a. | documenting the extent of fishery gear interactions is critical to wildlife conservation efforts, especially for reducing entanglements and ingestion. this study summarizes fishery gear interactions involving common bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus truncatus), florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) and sea turtles: loggerhead (caretta caretta), green turtle (chelonia mydas), leatherback (dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata), kemp's ridley (lepidochelys kemp ... | 2014 | 24613263 |
| structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract of the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris. | the florida manatee, trichechus manatus latirostris (sirenia: trichechidae), is the largest herbivorous marine mammal. previously, components of the gastrointestinal (gi) tract of the species have been described, but no comprehensive descriptions of the gross and microscopic anatomy existed. this study integrates function and structure of the entire florida manatee gi tract. | 1996 | 8800413 |
| phylogeography of the west indian manatee (trichechus manatus): how many populations and how many taxa? | to resolve the population genetic structure and phylogeography of the west indian manatee (trichechus manatus), mitochondrial (mt) dna control region sequences were compared among eight locations across the western atlantic region. fifteen haplotypes were identified among 86 individuals from florida, puerto rico, the dominican republic, mexico, columbia, venezuela, guyana and brazil. despite the manatee's ability to move thousands of kilometers along continental margins, strong population separa ... | 1998 | 9734072 |
| pathologic findings in manatees in florida. | necropsy and microscopic examinations of 16 west indian manatees (trichechus manatus) revealed that the mortality of many of the animals was associated with environmental factors such as human-inflicted trauma and cold winters. natural disease processes accounted for the death of only 1 manatee. in 3 manatees, the cause of death could not be determined. | 1984 | 6511576 |
| golgi analysis of neuron morphology in the presumptive somatosensory cortex and visual cortex of the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris). | the current study investigates neuron morphology in presumptive primary somatosensory (s1) and primary visual (v1) cortices of the florida manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) as revealed by golgi impregnation. sirenians, including manatees, have an aquatic lifestyle, a large body size, and a relatively large lissencephalic brain. the present study examines neuron morphology in 3 cortical areas: in s1, dorsolateral cortex area 1 (dl1) and cluster cortex area 2 (cl2) and in v1, dorsolateral c ... | 2016 | 27166161 |