F22AP03075

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 downlisted 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 of 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 veterinary equipment to aid in the rapid assessment of medical conditions of injured or ill manatees that strand onshore in Puerto Rico.
- For Priority 5, enhance access for veterinary care, including on-site lab or field equipment or instruments for more rapid assessment of the medical condition or monitoring of treatment response.

Detailed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, the project objectives include:
- Acquire a portable digital X-ray machine suited for radiograph assessment and diagnosis of medical conditions of injured or ill stranded manatees.
- Acquire a portable veterinary ultrasound system suited for sonogram assessment and diagnosis of medical conditions of injured or ill stranded manatees.

These two specific objectives are essential to improve, expand, and enhance veterinary diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico as the only federally authorized manatee critical care facility outside the mainland US.

Historically, about 20% of manatee strandings in Puerto Rico are caused by watercraft collisions. However, in recent years post-pandemic opening of beaches and navigation, PRDNER data details that up to 50% of manatee stranding cases may be related to watercraft collisions.

Two essential pieces of equipment to effectively diagnose watercraft collisions and their direct effect on damage to manatee organs and systems (broken ribs, dislocated flippers, pneumothorax, etc.) are a powerful enough large animal X-ray and a portable veterinary ultrasound machine. By using these two pieces of equipment, veterinarians can more accurately assess the manatee's condition and prescribe the proper treatment to resolve damage to the manatee's skeletal, respiratory, and digestive systems.

Completing these two objectives will place the CMCC in a better position to assist the PRDNER and the USFWS in tending to strandings, rescuing, and rehabilitating Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico.

RED Caribena De Varamientos

15.683 - Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance

FWS Headquarters (HQ) [DOI - FWS]

Puerto Rico United States

State-Wide

FY 2022 Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (F22AS00147)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 10/01/25 to 12/31/23.