Accomplishments and challenges of the research on Antillean manatee: A bibliometric analysis

• Autores: Castelblanco Martínez, Nataly; Gonzalez-Socoloske, Daniel; Cabrias, Leslie; Garcés Cuartas, Natalia; Arévalo González, Gloria Katerin; Gomes Borges, João Carlos; Marmontel, Miriam
• Año de publicación: 2023
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Sirenia; Trichechus manatus manatus; Endangered species
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

The 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%) to10 (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.
Fil: Castelblanco Martínez, Nataly. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología; México. Universidad de Quintana Roo; México. Fundacion Internacional Para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad. (fins);
Fil: Gonzalez-Socoloske, Daniel. Andrews University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Cabrias, Leslie. Centro de Conservación de Manatíes del Caribe; Puerto Rico
Fil: Garcés Cuartas, Natalia. Fundacion Internacional Para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad. (fins); . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina
Fil: Arévalo González, Gloria Katerin. Fundacion Internacional Para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad. (fins);
Fil: Gomes Borges, João Carlos. Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá; Brasil
Fil: Marmontel, Miriam. Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá; Brasil