A Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) framework for analysis of current manatee research and conservation efforts in Florida
Dates
Start Date
2023-09
End Date
2025-12
Summary
The population of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) has recently faced major environmental impacts that have threatened their numbers and status throughout the state. Necropsies have revealed signs of starvation, relating to the lack of food resources due to persistent algal blooms and cold stress. Persistence of thermal refugia is a current and ongoing concern. Legislatively, management decisions have had positive and negative impacts on scientific research efforts. This project will use a Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) approach to assess trajectories for anthropogenic and environmental factors affecting the manatee population, by incorporating current research and conservation efforts, relevant environmental [...]
Summary
The population of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) has recently faced major environmental impacts that have threatened their numbers and status throughout the state. Necropsies have revealed signs of starvation, relating to the lack of food resources due to persistent algal blooms and cold stress. Persistence of thermal refugia is a current and ongoing concern. Legislatively, management decisions have had positive and negative impacts on scientific research efforts. This project will use a Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) approach to assess trajectories for anthropogenic and environmental factors affecting the manatee population, by incorporating current research and conservation efforts, relevant environmental data, and socioeconomic concerns into a Social-Ecological Systems framework. Historical and current manatee research and conservation efforts, anthropogenic and natural inputs and impacts, management actions/outcomes, and inputs from professionals and laypeople within the manatee network will be analyzed collectively. Local IRL issues will serve as an initial case study for the overall CHANS analysis process that will then be applied to examine manatee/human/ environmental interactions state-wide. Project findings can inform species and habitat modeling efforts and can be placed in a decision-analysis framework to assist management planning for continued protection and sustainability of the manatee population throughout Florida.