Hurricane-Induced Displacement of a Greater Caribbean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Puerto Rico.

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes can disrupt the spatial ecology of large aquatic vertebrates, including endangered species with restricted ranges. The Greater Caribbean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is vulnerable to a wide range of anthropogenic threats. Extreme weather events also occur regularly within its tropical range, particularly hurricanes and their effects on coastal marine ecosystems. In Puerto Rico, long-term research has utilized satellite telemetry to monitor manatee movements; however, little is known about their behavioral responses to tropical cyclones. Herein, we document the first known case of hurricane-induced displacement of a Greater Caribbean manatee equipped with a GPS-linked satellite transmitter. An adult female manatee, "Abey," was captured and tagged in the Jobos Bay estuary on 10 August 2017, five weeks before the landfall of Hurricane Maria. Over 195 days, 4,818 high-quality GPS locations were obtained, revealing consistent use of a 10.2 km2 home range and repeated excursions to a freshwater site 8.0 km east. On 20 September 2017, as Hurricane Maria made landfall, Abey was displaced over 26 km eastward along a 66.5 km path. The animal returned unaided to its home range within six days and resumed pre-storm behavior without further anomalies. Unlike Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latiros-tris), which often shelter or become stranded inland during hurricanes, this case illustrates temporary displacement with rapid self-relocation of an animal to its optimal foraging habitat after passage of this stochastic climatic event. This case highlights the essential role of satellite telemetry in understanding how tropical cyclones affect manatee behavior and in guiding adaptive conservation strategies for this endangered species amid increasingly frequent stochastic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]