Historical ecology reveals the "surprising" direction and extent of shifting baselines for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostis).

ABSTRACT: Historical data are often overlooked in risk assessments and recovery plans for marine animals, resulting in the "shifting baselines." Historical ecological studies demonstrate the "surprising" extent to which contemporary assumptions misrepresent premodern baselines. The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee found primarily in Florida, USA, faces several existential threats, but risk assessments and recovery targets for the species are hindered by poor understanding of historical baselines. We conducted systematic and opportunistic reviews of archaeological and historical records of manatee occurrence in Florida, USA. Our data reveal that manatee populations in Florida were very small in the Precolonial and Colonial Periods, possibly representing infrequent in-migration

SUBMITTER: Pluckhahn TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11578630 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature