The number of live stranding events and mortality rate for manatees in puerto rico has increased over the past decade, from an average of 9 to ten cases to 13-14

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (CFDA 15.683) will provide $122,500.00 in funding to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) in Puerto Rico. The grant aims to acquire equipment that will facilitate improved manatee stranding response and rescue capabilities in Culebra Island and across Puerto Rico. Key objectives include purchasing jet skis to monitor shallow areas, procuring captured nets for strategic placement, and providing staff training to enhance the effectiveness of the marine mammal rescue program. This funding comes in response to an increase in live manatee stranding events and mortalities in Puerto Rico over the past decade, coupled with changing human behavior and recreational activities that have impacted manatee presence and behavior, requiring enhanced monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

Considering the estimated low manatee population numbers for puerto rico, this is of great concern. In addition, there has been a change in peoples behavior and nautical activities, particularly after the pandemic. Marine and coastal tourist and recreational activities are year-round and a change in manatee behavior has been noticed, with an increase of reports in areas such as culebra island. Awareness of the public has also increased the reports of potential conflicting situations on anthropogenic uses, with manatee presence in areas of great boat traffic, which requires preventive monitoring. A quick response with the right equipment is essential to address these situations adequately and for the species survival. This proposal aims to acquire equipment that will facilitate the manatee stranding response in culebra island and will also provide equipment needed for the manatee rescues in puerto rico. Recently there were a couple of cases in culebra island in which the lack of adequate equipment to monitor extremely shallow areas (for a boat) to locate an orphaned manatee made more difficult the response. Having jet skis would have facilitated this monitoring. Later, the same situation made more difficult to access a manatee carcass. Culebra island is far from mainland, for which having the resources at the island, where the agency has human resources, will facilitate this response. Another equipment that has been identified to improve the manatee stranding response is the availability of captured nest at different strategic points around the island. Live stranding cases require a quick response to take advantage of good weather and viable rescue scenarios. The marine mammal rescue program has been providing training to staff in different part of the island, for which having the gear readily accessible will make the response more effective.