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

评估巴西北部安的列斯海牛的营养生态、栖息地和生存状况

• 批准号: 2390195
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Queen Mary University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2390195
• 关键词: Assessing; Antillean; manatee; trophic; ecology

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.

了解环境变化和物种持续性之间的关系是生态学中的一个重要问题。巴西北方的红树林、珊瑚和海草生态系统支持着大量的生物多样性，并通过固碳作用充当碳汇。由于气候变化和人类活动造成的退化，这些生境在区域和全球范围内都在减少。这使它们所支持的生物面临灭绝的危险。安的列斯海牛（Trichechus manatus）被世界自然保护联盟红色名录列为“濒危”，利用这些生态系统作为喂养，交配和护理其后代的途径。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沿海沿着的资源质量，特别是海草栖息地知之甚少。我的项目旨在扩大海牛生态学的知识基础，以促进其保护和发展管理战略，帮助防止栖息地退化。面对海洋和河口栖息地日益增加的人为压力，该项目的研究结果将直接为海牛保护提供更有效的战略。在更广泛的背景下，我的博士学位将审查生态学中使用的各种新技术，以评估不断变化的环境条件下的物种持久性。这些技术可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地区。