Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM)
Not a member yet
358 research outputs found
Sort by
Accomplishments and challenges of the research on Antillean manatee: A bibliometric analysis
No full textThe Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is an endangered subspecies of the West Indian manatee inhabiting countries of South America, Meso America and the Caribbean. Basic and applied research is necessary to inform management plans for the effective recovery of this subspecies. The purpose of this study was to systematically review literature regarding Antillean manatees, without restriction of the research topic. Article selection and screening process are described. Our final database consisted of 456 publications, of which peer-reviewed literature (articles, reviews, and notes in research journals) represent the most important type (63.4%), followed by BSc, MSc, and PhD theses (28.1%). Most of the research (70%) was conducted on wild manatees, 21,5% under human care conditions, and the rest a combination of both; the most common topics of study were ‘ecology’, ‘conservation’, ‘morphology, anatomy and physiology’, and ‘behavior’. The literature on Antillean manatee has expanded significantly over the last two decades across the region, with most of the research published in just the last five (25.4%) to 10 (44.6%) years. Most of the published work has been by Brazilian, Mexican, and Colombian researchers. However, an important amount of research remains as theses in Portuguese or Spanish limiting the dissemination of results. Relevant limitations for research and publication in Latin American countries may have an impact on the published literature on Antillean manatees, including scarce funding, poor facilities, language-related difficulties, and lack of a culture of publication. Avenues to melt scientific barriers may include increasing governmental investment on research, strengthening international networks, and improving the support to publish in high-impact journals
Two decades of the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM): A bibliometric review for the period 2002 – 2022
No full textWe conducted a retrospective bibliometric analysis of the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM), the scholarly publication of the Latin American Society of Specialists of Specialists in Aquatic Mammals (SOLAMAC) for the last 20 years. The goal was to describe the state of the research, trends, changes, and priorities to provide a deeper context for future studies on these taxa in Latin America. We analyzed 278 publications between 2002 – 2022 (there were no published issues between 2012 – 2014), by 688 authors and from 26 countries. Odontocetes were the best represented taxa, led by Tursiops truncatus, Pontoporia blainvillei, and Sotalia spp., followed by an otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) and a Mysticete (Megaptera novaengliae). Co-word analysis within publications reflected research focus on particular species (e.g., P. brasiliensis and T. truncatus), regions (e.g., southern Brazil and Peru) and topics (e.g., distribution, population, sexual dimorphism). Most of the studies were conducted in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, whereas research from the Caribbean was limited in the sample. We found an increasing trend in the number of publications by females as first authors over the years, who also increased in the number of citations across the study. Several types of organizations were involved in the publications, dominated by academic institutions, mainly in Brazil. Many authors shifted institutions over the first half of the study, and publications from non-governmental organizations maintained an important role throughout the study. We identified eight clusters within the authorship network, where six belonged to Brazilian authors; however, cluster connectivity was mediated mainly by authors from countries like Brazil and Uruguay, changing across the years. Finally, the pattern and trends found here seem to adequately reflect the development of the field, in terms of efforts and collaborative networks in South America and Mexico during the last three decades
Latin American aquatic mammals: an overview of 12 years focusing on molecular techniques applied to conservation
No full textEcological information useful for conservation purposes have benefitted from recent and rapid advancements in genetic techniques, revealing unknown aspects of behavior, natural history, population structure and demography of several aquatic mammal species, many of them with conservation concerns. Molecular markers have been used to define management units, to settle taxonomic uncertainties, to control illegal wildlife trade, among others, providing valuable information to decision-making to conserve and manage aquatic mammals. We review genetic studies applied to conservation-related issues involving natural populations of more than 40 species of aquatic mammals in Latin America, covering four taxonomic groups. The main goal was to assess which genetic approaches have been used and to identify gaps in genetic research relating to geographic areas and species. We reviewed studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2011 and 2022, and found that most were focused on population structure, phylogeography, gene flow and dispersal movements. The review revealed that researchers need to increase and improve the knowledge in those species which face major conservation concern. Scarce findings were related to forensics and its application to wildlife trade. In the era of next-generation-sequencing techniques, just a few studies used genomics as a tool for monitoring gene diversity, an important goal to help us predict how species will cope with climate change events. Looking to the future we suggest which species, geographic areas and genetic studies should be prioritized in a scenario of climate change and increased human threats (e.g., fishery bycatch, habitat degradation, etc.) and the urgent need for conservation actions. Finally, we highlight the benefits of the collaborative works and the necessity of generating a conservation genetic network, with an open agenda to discuss the local and regional problematics. All in all, we strongly emphasize the generation of critical information towards the effective conservation and management of aquatic mammals in Latin America
Ingestion of yellow tube sponge (Aplysina fistularis Pallas, 1766) (Porifera, Demospongiae) by short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus Gray, 1846)
No full text
Trends and gaps in marine mammal research from Mexico during 1998 – 2021
No full textMarine mammals are very diverse because of the oceanographic conditions of Mexican waters (where 36% of the current species worldwide are found); however, scientific research on many of these taxa is still at the basic stages. The goal of this study was to assess the scientific information available for these species and to determine research priorities through a GAP (from the acronym "Good", "Average", and "Poor”) analysis. Information from the abstracts of the meetings held by the Mexican Society of Marine Mammalogy (SOMEMMA) and online databases (SCOPUS and Web of Science) between 1998 and 2021 was analyzed using temporal (years), geographic (oceans or states), taxonomic (species), and thematic (topics) classifications. On average, of the 44 species included in the Mexican legislation, only 16 - included in 14 families (with most of the records) - are studied every year, Delphinidae (n = 500; 25.9%), Balaenopteridae (n = 335; 17.4%), and Otariidae (n = 316; 16.4%). The Gulf of California was the most studied region (35.4%), followed by the Northeast Pacific (19.3%), the Gulf of Mexico (15.5%), and the Caribbean Sea (6.9%). The most frequent topics were population ecology (32.9%), conservation (16.7%), and animal health (10.4%). A significant decrease in the taxonomic and thematic diversity of such studies has been noted since SOMEMMA meetings began to be held on a biennial basis. It is noteworthy that marine mammals are protected by Mexican Federal laws. However, stock assessments are not mandatory, therefore biological aspects and trends of several (mostly oceanic) species remain unknown in many places, especially in regions where academic and scientific institutions are not involved in marine science
Interannual shifts in sea surface temperature and chlorophyl drive the relative abundance and group size of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus on the Southeast Gulf of California
No full textDespite being one of the most common odontocetes off Sinaloa (Mexican Pacific coast), basic studies on the ecology of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are scarce in the region. This study aimed to describe changes in the relative abundance, group size, and behavior of this species during 2007 – 2012. We used boat-based surveys and satellite images of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) to model changes in dolphin relative abundance (RA) over time, using correlations in time series analyses. Overall, mean RA was 3.6 dolphins h-1 (SD = 8.0), and significantly higher RA (6.4 –16.7 dolphins h-1) occurred in 2008, 2011, 2012, which was concurrent with hydrographic effects of La Niña oceanographic conditions, as well as during the upwelling season (February – April) (SST: 17.3 – 25.0 °C; Chl-a: 3.7 – 21.4 mg m-3). Conversely, significantly lower RA values (0.5 – 3.8 dolphins h-1) occurred in 2007 and 2010 that were likely associated with El Niño effects on the biological productivity of the area (Chl-a: 0.3 – 7.6 mg m-3). We found significant correlations between monthly Chl-a and SST average values with mean bottlenose dolphins RA, and lags (22 – 29 days) in the trophic response to variations of the hydrographic parameters. Significantly larger dolphin groups were recorded during La Niña years possibly because of the higher availability of their prey. This hypothesis is supported by higher feeding frequencies (35 – 73%) observed during the upwelling seasons, especially during La Niña conditions, whereas the most frequent behavior throughout all other years was traveling (28 – 69%). Our results show that RA and group size of bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the waters off Sinaloa, Mexico, are likely influenced by the changes in hydrographic parameters, especially during extreme climatic events
William Fergus Perrin - a marine mammalogist ‘for all seasons’ : 20 August 1938 – 11 July 2022
No full textThis is an obituary for William F. Perrin