A long-term study conducted by Mason researchers may be a
benchmark in determining health threats to marine mammals.
More than 10 years of research in Belize was conducted
studying the behavioral ecology, life history and health of manatees, large
marine mammals sometimes called sea cows, in an area relatively undisturbed by
humankind.
“Manatees are the proverbial ‘canaries in the mineshaft,’ as
they serve as indicators of their environment and may reflect the overall
health of marine ecosystems,” says Alonso Aguirre, executive director of the
Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation and co-author of a paper on this
research published recently in PLoS One journal in collaboration with
scientists of University of California-Davis, U.S. Geological Survey and Sea to
Shore Alliance.