Banca de DEFESA: DIOGO ALEXANDRE DE SOUZA

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : DIOGO ALEXANDRE DE SOUZA
DATE: 28/08/2025
TIME: 13:30
LOCAL: Sala de reunião do DECOL/CB/UFRN e Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/cqg-pygt-ueh)
TITLE:

Conservation of the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis): Integrating local ecological knowledge and science

KEY WORDS:

hunting; aquatic mammal; telemetry; translocation; conservation unit

PAGES: 180
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

Amazonian aquatic ecosystems are undergoing drastic, large-scale changes due to human activities, and understanding species movement patterns is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. In the case of the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the largest aquatic mammal in the region and the only exclusively freshwater sirenian, the influence of landscape features on its behavior and habitat use remain poorly understood. T. inunguis has been the target of both commercial and subsistence hunting, and the translocation of rehabilitated individuals into the wild has emerged as a key conservation strategy for this endemic and vulnerable species. The overall objective of this thesis was to examine the effects of environmental, anthropogenic, and landscape factors on the behavior and space use of the Amazonian manatee in the Purus River, Central Amazon, and to assess how community-based fisheries co-management influences its conservation. In addition, it aims to analyze the challenges and progress associated with T. inunguis translocation efforts. In Chapter 1, the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of 104 manatee experts, living in 30 riverine communities in and around two Protected Areas, was used to identify the social and environmental factors affecting the species' conservation. Incidental capture in fishing nets and extreme droughts caused by severe weather events in the Amazon were reported as the main causes of manatee mortality. However, involvement in community-based fisheries co-management had a positive influence on fishers' attitudes toward the species' conservation. Chapter 2 compares LEK with available scientific knowledge, providing significant insights into threats to the species, its social behavior, habitat use, and diet. Chapter 3 investigates the spatial ecology of manatees released in the Purus River and monitored via VHF telemetry, revealing novel movement patterns that align with LEK. Chapter 4 presents a bibliometric review combined with an analysis of institutional databases on T. inunguis translocations, addressing the challenges and advances of this conservation strategy. Despite a significant increase in release initiatives, the limited scientific literature on the subject and the lack of data on post-release outcomes hinder the development of more robust management protocols. The results of this thesis aim to support riverine communities, conservation managers, and research institutions in the collective development of large-scale strategies and public policies to ensure the conservation of this charismatic megaherbivore.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - EDUARDO MORAES ARRAUT
Externo à Instituição - JORGE CALVIMONTES UGARTE
Externa à Instituição - ANA CAROLINA OLIVEIRA DE MEIRELLES - UBC
Presidente - 1718346 - EDUARDO MARTINS VENTICINQUE
Externo à Instituição - JANSEN ALFREDO SAMPAIO ZUANON