Analysis of the habitat of manatees in French Guiana, South America


background

A first study, carried out by a local NGO in 2000, revealed that a small, but stable manatee population is resident in French Guiana. Due to the turbid waters, no exact population estimations could be done. In this study, some potentially important parameters for manatee habitats use were investigated through a detailed study of one swamp in which a stable manatee population is resident.

duration & founding

duration: april 2001 - february 2002
founding: DAAD travel grant
Papierverein Petershausen
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
collarborators: Dr. Jan Sliva, Prof. Jörg Pfadenhauer (TU München, Lehrstuhl für Vegetationskunde)
Dr. Udo Ganslosser (Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg)
Benoit de Thosiy, KWATA
WTW, Schondorf

methods & results

In a literature survey the most important parameters of the description of a manatee habitat were determined, before field work was carried out in French Guiana during 3 month. This is the first study which deals in detail with a manatee habitat in French Guiana and can be used as a basis for further research on habitat quality in French Guiana and surrounding countries.

publications & links

De Thoisy, B., Spiegelberger, T. , Rousseau S., Talvy, G., Vogel , I. and Vié, J.-C. 2003: Distribution, habitat, and conservation status of the West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus in French Guiana. - Oryx 37(4): 431-436.
Spiegelberger, T. and Ganslosser, U. (2005) Food habitats of the Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in the Coswine Swamps (French Guiana, South America). Tropical Zoology 18. pp. 1-12.
Spiegelberger, T. (2002): Analysis of a habitat used by Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in French Guiana. Diploma thesis (abstract), Department of vegetation ecology, TUM Munich-Weihenstephan.
Complete thesis: part 1 (2.4 MB), part 2 (3.0 MB), part 3 (1.6 MB)

 last update: Jan 07