Assessing Antillean manatee trophic ecology, habitat and survival status in Northern Brazil

了解环境变化与物种持久性之间的关系是生态学中一个重要的研究课题。巴西北部的红树林、珊瑚和海草生态系统支持着大量的生物多样性，并通过固存发挥着碳汇的作用。由于气候变化和人类活动的退化，这些栖息地在区域和全球范围内都在减少。这使得它们赖以生存的生物面临灭绝的危险。安的列斯海牛（trichecchus manatus）被列入世界自然保护联盟“濒危”红色名录，它们将这些生态系统作为觅食、交配和哺育幼崽的途径。然而，由于它们的数量下降，它们现在是巴西的优先保护物种。目前，人们对海牛栖息地的利用和巴西海岸资源的质量知之甚少，尤其是海草栖息地。我的项目旨在扩大海牛生态学的知识基础，以促进它们的保护，并制定有助于防止栖息地退化的管理策略。面对海洋和河口生境日益增加的人为压力，该项目的研究结果将直接为保护海牛提供更有效的策略。在更广泛的背景下，我的博士学位将回顾生态学中用于评估物种在不断变化的环境条件下持久性的各种新技术。这些技术可以直接应用于世界上迫切需要对濒危物种进行生境评估的其他区域。

Understanding the relationship between environmental change and species persistence is a major issue of interest in ecology. Mangrove, coral and seagrass ecosystems in Northern Brazil support an immense amount of biodiversity and act as carbon sinks through sequestration. Due to climate change and degradation from anthropogenic activities, these habitats are in decline both regionally and globally. This puts the organisms they support at risk of extinction. The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus), which is listed on the IUCN Red List as 'Endangered', use these ecosystems as pathways for feeding, mating and nursing their young. However, due to their population declines, they are now a conservation priority species in Brazil. Currently, very little is known about manatee habitat use and the quality of resources along the Brazilian coast, especially seagrass habitats. My project aims to expand the knowledge base of manatee ecology to promote their conservation and develop management strategies that aid in preventing habitat degradation. In the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures on marine and estuarine habitats, findings from this project will directly inform more effective strategies for conservation of manatees. In a broader context, my PhD will review a variety of novel techniques used in ecology to assess species persistence under changing environmental conditions. These techniques can be directly applied to other regions of the world where habitat assessments for endangered species are urgently required.