Watercraft, irresponsible fishing and pollution are among the main threats facing marine life in Puerto Rico, according to the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center, located at the Interamerican University of Bayamón. Not every manatee that arrives at the center is sick: some have suffered injuries, others have lost their mothers, and in some cases their conditions stem directly or indirectly from threats in their natural habitat.
Paula González, an educator at the center, said one of the most common reasons manatees arrive there is collisions with vessels, including boats and jet skis, and she urged people driving watercraft to be mindful of their speed. She explained that a little over 80% of the center’s cases have been orphaned manatees, which could be for natural reasons, while several adults and juveniles that arrived were due to human causes.
After a 911 call reported a watercraft striking a manatee directly, rescuers found Taikú, a calf that stayed beside her mother after the incident; the center becomes a temporary home for her and others. At release, rescuers attach a transmitter to keep monitoring rehabilitation. The center grows and prepares the animals’ food, training manatees to eat water hyacinth, an invasive species in local rivers, so they teach others in their habitat and help balance aquatic vegetation.
Anyone who finds a stranded manatee or endangered marine species can call 911 or the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.