Environmental DNA survey data for the West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus, in Alabama waters

Coastal areas globally are experiencing changes in viable habitat and food availability for many aquatic species, driving subsequent shifts in migration patterns, and distributions. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, an increasing number of tropical species have recently become established, leading to the hypothesis that these waters will continue to tropicalize, significantly impacting ecosystem functions. This research used a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the anticipated effects of climate change on the distribution and habitat use patterns of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), a sentinel megafauna species that is of ecological and cultural importance to Alabama, supporting stewardship of Alabama’s coastal resources. This project 1) analyzed existing long-term and high-resolution datasets to build predictive models for distribution and habitat use of the West Indian manatee, a locally endangered and globally threatened sentinel megafauna species, under current and future climate scenarios, and 2) tested and calibrated environmental DNA techniques as a novel alternative to direct monitoring for conservation of large and often hard to study animals in Alabama waters.

全球近岸海域正经历诸多水生物种的适宜栖息地与食物可获得性变化，进而推动其迁徙模式与分布范围发生相应改变。近期墨西哥湾北部海域的定殖热带物种数量持续增加，由此提出假说：该海域将持续发生热带化进程，进而对生态系统功能造成显著影响。本研究采用多学科方法，探究气候变化对西印度海牛（*Trichechus manatus*）的分布与栖息地利用模式的预期影响；该物种作为指示性巨型动物，对阿拉巴马州兼具生态与文化价值，可为阿拉巴马州近岸资源的管护提供支撑。本项目具体开展两项工作：1）整合现有长期高分辨率数据集，构建当前及未来气候情景下西印度海牛（该物种在阿拉巴马州为地方濒危、全球受威胁的指示性巨型动物）的分布与栖息地利用预测模型；2）测试并校准环境DNA（environmental DNA, eDNA）技术，以其作为替代直接监测的新型手段，用于阿拉巴马海域内体型庞大且通常难以开展研究的动物的保护工作。