Dataset of POMC DNA Methylation and Biological Metadata from Antillean Manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in the Southern Gulf of Mexico

This dataset contains biological, molecular, and epigenetic information from wild Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) sampled in freshwater ecosystems of Tabasco, Mexico. The dataset includes individual metadata (sex, age class, body length, sampling location, and collection source), PCR amplification results for the POMC and SOX9 genes, primer sequences, DNA quality measurements (concentration and A260/A280 ratio), and DNA methylation data for 15 CpG sites located within a regulatory region of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene. DNA methylation profiles were generated using sodium bisulfite conversion, PCR amplification, and sequencing of bisulfite-treated DNA. The dataset was developed to investigate epigenetic patterns potentially associated with environmental stress responses in free-ranging Antillean manatees inhabiting the Grijalva–Usumacinta basin in southeastern Mexico. This dataset provides baseline information for studies on conservation biology, molecular ecology, wildlife epigenetics, and environmental stress assessment in threatened aquatic mammals. It may also support future research on epigenetic biomarkers and adaptive responses to environmental change in natural populations.