The red caribena DE varamientos (caribbean stranding network) (RCV) has since 1989 been the non-profit organization deputized by the puerto rico department of natural and environmental resources…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $210,301.44 Project Grant to Red Caribena De Varamientos Inc., doing business as the Caribbean Stranding Network, under the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (CFDA 15.683). The funding supports the organization's efforts to enhance its capabilities for responding to and providing veterinary care for stranded, injured, or ill Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico. Key objectives include acquiring specialized rescue and medical equipment such as a transport vehicle, lift motors for a rehabilitation tank, veterinary endoscopes, oxygen backpacks, and digital documentation tools. These investments aim to improve the organization's ability to rapidly assess medical conditions, provide treatment, and facilitate the rehabilitation and release of endangered Antillean manatees. The grant award period extends from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027.

The red caribena DE varamientos (caribbean stranding network) (RCV) has since 1989 been the non-profit organization deputized by the puerto rico department of natural and environmental resources (prdner) and the US fish and wildlife service (USFWS) to assist in tending to manatee stranding cases in puerto rico, and serve as the only manatee critical care facility outside the continental united states. While the west indian manatee (trichechus manatus), as a species, was down-listed as threatened in 2017, the antillean manatee (t. Manatus manatus) subspecies throughout its range and its population in puerto rico is still endangered by genetic bottleneck and a small population number. For example, while the population of the florida subspecies (t. Manatus latirostris) may be around 5,733 individuals, the puerto rico population of the antillean subspecies may only be between 312- 535 individuals. Recovery through actions that provide a better understanding of the status of the antillean population in puerto rico and increase the quality of the response to strandings and veterinary care during rehabilitation are needed to provide information to managers and stakeholders, which will ultimately contribute to manatee protection and recovery in puerto rico. The goals and objectives of this specific project, as detailed in one of the notice of funding opportunity priorities, are as follows. At this moment, the cmcc should focus on completing necessary rescue and veterinary types of equipment to aid in the rapid assessment of medical conditions and improve veterinary treatments of injured or ILL manatees that are strand and rescue in puerto rico. In the 2024 prescott RFP, for priority #2 (transport for live strandings of manatees, including equipment costs, rescue transport trucks and contracts for transport (air or land transports) the project objective is: acquire a rescue truck to help in the rescues and transport those manatees stranded, injured, sick, and released. For priority #4 (improve and expand existing facilities for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and or necropsies, including build-outs, alterations, upgrades, and renovations) the project objectives are: acquire lift motors for the false floor of a medical rehabilitation tank for those manatees under veterinary care. For priority #5 (enhance access for veterinary care, including on-site (lab or field) equipment or instruments for more rapid assessment of medical condition or monitoring of treatment response) the project objectives are: acquire a veterinary endoscope suited for assessment and diagnosis of medical conditions of injured or ILL stranded manatees. Acquire oxygen backpacks and demand valves to provide supplementary oxygen during rescues, strandings, and veterinary examinations for those injured or ILL stranded manatees. Acquire veterinary smartscope and tonovet machines suited for ophthalmological examinations and diagnosis of ocular medical conditions of injured or ILL stranded manatees. Acquire digital tablets for better documentation of the data during rescues, stranding, and veterinary examinations in the field and a rehab facility with injured or ILL stranded manatees. Acquire digital cameras for better documentation during rescues, stranding in the field, and veterinary