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Distribution and Conservation Efforts for Greater Caribbean Manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in the Canal del Dique Wetland Complex of Colombia
Isabel V. Gómez-Camelo1, Dalila Caicedo-Herrera1, Juan D. Palencia-Rivera1, Santiago Cañon-Escobar1, Santiago Mendoza-Beltrán1, Laura Jaramillo-Ortíz1, Andrés González2, Luis E. Pérez2, Stephanie M. Jiménez-Rivera3,4, and Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni3,4,*
1Fundación Omacha, Calle 84, No. 21–64, Barrio El Polo, Bogotá, Colombia.2Corporación Autónoma Regional del Canal del Dique,Transversal 52 # 16–190, Cartagena de Indias,Bolivar, Colombia. 3Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, 500 Carr. John Will Harris, Bayamon, Puerto Rico 00957, USA. 4Center for Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334 Basseterre, St. Kitts West Indies. *Corresponding author.
Caribbean Naturalist, No. 101 (2025)
Published 17 March 2025
Abstract
The Canal del Dique is a wetland complex in northern Colombia that supports a diverse ecosystem and is vital to local communities. This study evaluates the presence, distribution, and ecological aspects of Trichechus manatus manatus (Greater Caribbean Manatee) in this complex. By combining community interviews, social cartography, and field surveys conducted between 2016 and 2019, we summarize and report manatee presence across specific wetland complexes within the Canal del Dique, including Zarzal–Tupe–Capote, Aguas Claras–Floral–Cienaguita, and María La Baja. Our findings contribute to the understanding of manatee ecology by identifying the Canal del Dique as a crucial habitat for manatees, showing how environmental changes influence their distribution, and highlighting impacts on habitat use and population dynamics. This study advances regional knowledge of manatee ecology and provides conservation recommendations to protect these endangered species and their habitats.
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