A new Caribbean Manatee Alliance is gathering experts to secure the species’ future in the Caribbean and internationally.
The alliance has assembled a team of 20 experts to be able to make informed decisions on how to protect these gentle giants best.
The new Wider Caribbean Manatee Alliance (WCMA) is a partnership between the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The new organization will link stakeholders worldwide to research, coordinate conservation efforts and secure the species’ future. The goals of the alliance include:
- Creating and supporting a network of manatee experts.
- Upgrade manatee protection capacity in the Caribbean.
- Improve and expand the scientific research focused on the American manatee.
- Improving rescue, rehabilitation, and release capabilities to help support local populations.
According to the Caribbean research director at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) and a leader of the Alliance, Anmari Alvarez-Aleman:
“This new Alliance will help manatee experts and conservation leaders sit at the same table to discuss the recovery of the species. Through the integration of these regional leaders, and having those leaders in coastal communities and government come together, conservation initiatives can be put into practice and lead to impactful results. Manatee populations are listed as endangered or vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but for some local governments, their range population is considered critically endangered. The IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species evaluates species by severity of threat from ‘least concern’ to ‘extinct.’”
While Antonio Mignucci-Giannoni, the director of the Centro de Conservación de Manatíes del Caribe, added:
“The Wider Caribbean Manatee Alliance (WCMA) will be of great importance in the conservation of the American manatee throughout the Caribbean basin. We are eager to contribute to and support its development and implementation.”
For more information about the Wider Caribbean Alliance and the goals of this partnership, check out the Columbus Zoo’s website.
