Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología · Catedras Jóvenes Investigadores

The Neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis is one of the least studied mammals of the Yucatán Peninsula and its presence in some water bodies of this region is questionable. Laguna Bacalar is the largest freshwater body located in the Yucatán Peninsula and faces several conservation problems due to its high potential for tourism development. We confi...

We analysed 33 years of data on strandings of the Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus in Belize, documented by the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network, to examine the threats to this population. A total of 286 stranding incidents were reported, of which 376 (83.4%) cases were verified. A total of 286 (63.4%) of the incidents occurred wi...

The Hondo River is the natural border between Mexico and Belize, and it is part of the distribution area of the Endangered Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus. Currently, the Hondo River does not have any special protection. Employing qualitative research methods, we documented the social perception and local knowledge from riverside commu...

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...

The dorsal fin plays important kinematic and hydrodynamic roles in dolphins and are related to physiological and environmental adaptation processes. Differences in dorsal fin shape have been recently associated with geographic variation, habitat specialization between ecotypes, and ontogenetic factors. We studied dorsal fin variation across several...

Understanding predator-prey relationships is critical in ecology, but relatively challenging when investigating elusive marine megafauna. In this study, we document the presence of shark-inflicted injuries on coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mesoamerican Reef System using photo-identification methods. We analyzed data from a...

La nutria neotropical es una especie indicadora de alta diversidad biológica de los ecosistemas acuáticos. Varios estudios demuestran que esta especie de mustélido tiene una plasticidad muy grande para adaptarse a los cambios de su hábitat. En el sur de Quintana Roo, los primeros reportes de presencia de nutria ocurrieron en la década de 1990 en Rí...

En el sur de Quintana Roo existen diversos cuerpos de agua interconectados y el Río Hondo que desemboca en la Bahía de Chetumal. Históricamente, se ha reportado que la nutria neotropical habita en estos cuerpos de agua; sin embargo, se desconoce la percepción que las personas locales tienen sobre la especie en esta región. El objetivo de este estud...

The seemingly unhurried nature of manatees and dugongs belies their great capacity for undertaking long-distance journeys, often repeatedly in the form of round-trip seasonal migrations, but sometimes as movements independent of seasonal influence. Unique attributes of sirenian biology that interact with features of their environment to mold patter...

Climate change stressors are already affecting the subtropical and tropical coastal, estuarine, and riverine habitats of sirenians with consequential changes to their ethology and behavioral ecology. Climate change is causing temperature increases, sea level rise, changes in water chemistry and quality , increase in the intensity and nature of extr...

The coastal marine and inland freshwater environments inhabited by manatees and dugongs around the world are spatially heterogeneous and highly dynamic over a range of time scales, often aligned with predictable geophysical cycles (tidal, diel, seasonal). Central to sirenian adaptations for meeting these varied ecological challenges is plasticity i...

Assessments of individual animal health alerts to early signs of population level effects in wildlife but often rely on logistically complex wild animal captures, hindering our understanding of the wellbeing of populations in regions with limited resources. Here, we tested photogrammetry methods using small aerial drones for accurate morphometric m...

Lay abstract: Bottlenose dolphins display diverse feeding behaviors. Here, we report mud ring feeding behaviors by bottlenose dolphins in an estuary shared between Belize and Mexico. We detected four mud ring feeding events in boat- and aerial-based observations. In visual searches of Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery, we detected mud ri...

Assessing the body condition of wild animals is necessary to monitor the health of the population and is critical to defining a framework for conservation actions. Body condition indices (BCIs) are a non-invasive and relatively simple means to assess the health of individual animals, useful for addressing a wide variety of ecological, behavioral, a...

West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are separated into two allopatric subspecies: the Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus). In the winter of 2020-2021, an adult manatee was sighted off the coast of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, in areas where Antillean manatees are not typically seen. The individual ha...

Como parte del Programa de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre y Diversificación Productiva en el Sector Rural, desarrollado por la SEMARNAP a partir de 1997, se conformó el Subcomité Técnico Consultivo para el Manejo y Conservación del Manatí, el cual estableció cuatro regiones prioritarias de estudio del Manatí: 1) sistemas fluviolagunares de Campe...

Primary producers in the aquatic community structure are fundamental elements because they are the first link in the trophic network as occur in most ecosystems. They produce oxygen and biomass, act as a shelter for several species, and provide food for a wide variety of megaherbivore species like manatees and sea turtles. Physicochemical processes...

Context. Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones are powerful tools for wildlife research. Identifying the impacts of these systems on target species during operations is essential to reduce risks of disturbance to wildlife, to minimise bias in behavioural data, and to establish better practices for their use. Aims. We evaluated the responses of captiv...

Invasive alien species (IAS) are considered the second greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss; and therefore, they need to be controlled promptly to avoid irreversible damages to the ecosystems and loss of species. However, this is not an easy task when the IAS is also a charismatic animal. Here, I analyze the case of the invasive hippo...

Antillean manatees in the Hondo River have been recorded from aerial and aquatic surveys, and interviews. However, these studies have been conducted only in the lower riverbed, leaving a gap of information about their presence and habitat characteristics in the rest of the river. We characterize and determine the ecohydrological variables influenci...

Biological invasions are a big concern due to their potential to impact ecosystems, as well as local people. The hippo Hippopotamus amphibius, native to Africa, has invaded extensive areas of the Magdalena River basin (Colombia) over the past decades, and has been considered the largest invasive animal in the world. Here, we propose the use of two...

Baseline data on the distribution and occurrence of marine mammals are needed to better understand their role in marine ecosystems and to protect them from the negative impacts of climate change and human activity. Here, we report the results of vessel-based surveys to document marine mammals throughout the territorial waters of Belize in the Weste...

Bone diseases such as deformations, fractures, bone growths and the fusion of some vertebrae processes in dolphins and other marine mammals have been scarcely reported in Mexico. Here, we report a case of spondyloarthritis in several lumbar vertebrae and the fusion of some processes of the lumbar and caudal vertebrae in a Bottlenose dolphin Tursiop...

The use of drones to study marine animals shows promise for the examination of numerous aspects of their ecology, behaviour, health and movement patterns. However, the responses of some marine phyla to the presence of drones varies broadly, as do the general operational protocols used to study them. Inconsistent methodological approaches could lead...

Manatees inhabiting rivers and floodplains are adapted to respond to natural annual depth fluctuations, performing relatively predictable seasonal movements. However, when this dynamic is altered, manatees can become trapped in shallow areas, events that are locally known as 'empozamientos.' The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence...

In this Short Communication, we document the stranding of a pregnant dwarf sperm whale on the southeastern coast of the island of Utila in Honduras.

Population assessments and species monitoring for many endangered marine megafauna are limited by the challenges of identifying and tracking individuals that live underwater in remote and sometimes inaccessible areas. Manatees can acquire scarrings from watercraft injury and other incidences that can be used to identify individuals. Here we describ...

The residence time in Chetumal Bay was higher for females (89.6% of time) than for males (72.0%), but the daily movement rate was higher for males (10.82 km/d) than for females (8.36 km/d). Pg 170, last paragraph: The average speed was 0.41 km/hr; the daily movement rate was 8.36 ± 2.21 km/d for females and 10.82 ± 3.4 km/d for males. Pg 177, first...

Body condition index (BCI) is an important morphometric measure for monitoring the health status of sirenians. The capture and handling of wild manatees enables accurate body measurements but are invasive, expensive and logistically challenging. We tested the use of small drones to remotely collect morphometric data from captive Antillean manatees...

Manatees can acquire permanent scarrings from watercraft injury and other incidences that can be used to photo-identify individuals over time and space. Small drones are affordable and practical platforms to study and monitor wildlife. We propose a novel method for photo-ID of Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) using aerial imagery cap...

Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) are considered Endangered. In Colombia the threats to the species include hunting, entanglement, and habitat loss. Particularly, the rapid increase of wetlands sedimentation in the Magdalena River Basin (MRB) could represent a major risk factor during the dry season. We reviewed social media and newsp...

Manatees have been described as generalist-opportunistic herbivores, with a diet composed by a great variety of plant species. However, the incidental consumption of hydrozoa, invertebrates and inorganic elements such as plastics has also been reported. Our goal was to assess the incidental consumption of animals and other elements by Antillean man...

The local communities have historically created close relationships with their natural environment. It has been reflected in a set of knowledge, practices, rules, and beliefs associated with natural resources accumulated across the time; known as ‘local ecological knowledge’ (LEK). In a context of development and demographic growing, local communit...

The vocal repertoire of the antillean manatees in Mexico and their association with different behaviors is largely unknown. We try to identify and classify the vocal repertoire of a captive population of manatees in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It was evidenced that the presence of environmental noise, sounds of other animals in captivity, anthropogenic s...

Marine mammal watching is becoming an important non-consumptive use of wild megafauna in Mexico, mainly in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. Here, we present the first report of watching tourism targeting dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in the Mexican Caribbean (SKRB). We applied 64 semi-structured interviews t...

Marine mammals sometimes develop complex feeding behaviors driven by prey availability in their habitats and the capacity for social learning. Bottlenose dolphins display diverse foraging tactics, oftentimes involving complex series of learned behaviors. Rarely have the same strategies been detected in geographically distinct populations. Mud ring...

Possible Spatio-temporal variations in manatee feeding habits in the Mexican Caribbean

The digestive efficiency (DE) of manatees is little known, especially for the subspecies T.m.manatus. This study evaluated this physiological parameter in captive manatees in two different facilities, and wild manatees in the Mexican Caribbean in different environments (freshwater, estuarine and marine). Manganese concentration was used as a non-di...

The Wildlife Project started in 2014, implementing strategies for the conservation of biodiversity on a landscape scale in three regions of Colombia: Middle Magdalena Basin, Llanos and Putumayo. The Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus L. was used as one of the focal species on the middle Magdalena basin. After the identification of areas w...

The events involving the strandings of manatees Trichechus manatus manatus in the swamps and rivers of the Magdalena Basin during the low season are becoming more and more frequent. These strandings appear to be related to the increasing sedimentation of the rivers, which causes loss of connectivity between the main rivers and marshes, and may have...

Any aquatic organism is exposed to colonization by biofouling, e.g. the accumulation of microorganisms, macroorganisms, plants, algae, or animals on wetted surfaces. The epibiosis is considered as an ecosystem, but studies related to this issue in manatees have not been framed on the ecosystem concept. The objective of this research is to character...

Do manatees in the Mexican Caribbean have feeding preferences? What have the manatees been eating in the Mexican Caribbean for the last 30 years?

The Sian Ka’an Complex (SKC) is a relevant refuge for Caribbean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Quintana Roo, Mexico, due to the availability of high quality habitats for manatee feeding and calving. However, the recent increase of tourism affluence has raised concerns on the fate of this manatee population. We started a long-term monitori...

The local communities have historically created close relationships with their natural environment. It has been reflected in a set of knowledge, practices, rules, and beliefs associated with natural resources accumulated across the time; known as ‘local ecological knowledge’ (LEK). In a context of development and demographic growing, local communit...

The recent expansion of the invasive lionfish throughout the Western Hemisphere is one of the most extensively studied aquatic invasions. Molecular studies have improved our understanding of larval dispersal, connectivity, and biogeographical barriers among lionfish populations , but none have included Mexican localities, an important area for the...

Manatees (family Trichechidae) have specialized sensory vibrissae or tactile hairs comprised of keratin which are distributed over the surface of the body. Understanding manatee vibrissae growth rate (VGR) is the first step in using vibrissae to monitor diet and movement of individuals , as well as monitoring biomarkers for exposure to persistent b...

The Caribbean is a mega-diverse and bio-geographically important region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands, and surrounding coastlines. Among the billions of aquatic species inhabiting this region, the mega-vertebrates stand out for their social, economic and ecologic relevance. However, the Caribbean has been threatened by climate cha...

Background: Until 2015, the aquatic mammal’s biodiversity in the Mexican Caribbean was unknown, but that year 18 species were confirmed to be distributed in this region, none of them a Rorcual species. Goals: The aim of this study is to report on the first record of a Balaenopteridae whale in the Mexican Caribbean. Methods: The CONANP and RVMMEQR...

Oral pathological conditions are common in mammals and have been relatively well documented for some wild groups, but are rarely reported in marine mammals. Here, we report for the Mexican Caribbean the first case of mandibular osteomyelitis in a free-ranging dolphin. A bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus adult male (256.5 cm total length) was fo...

Dolphins of the genus Stenella occur in pelagic waters of both tropical and warm-temperate oceans. Three species, the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), the pantropical spotted dolphin (S. attenuata), and the spinner dolphin (S. longirostris) are abundant worldwide, but in the Caribbean Basin they have been poorly studied and informatio...

Se ha visto que dugones y manatíes incentivan la producción primaria, la reproducción vegetativa y la dispersión de semillas de las plantas que consumen, principalmente mediante la fragmentación de estructuras vegetativas durante el ramoneo, y el entierro/desentierro de estructuras reproductivas. Recientemente se verificó la ingesta de semillas en...

En México, el manatí antillano habita en los sistemas hídricos que desembocan en el Golfo de México y en las costas del Caribe. El río Hondo desemboca en la Bahía de Chetumal, y previos estudios lo reconocen como un hábitat de importancia para el manatí, porque provee a la especie de condiciones ambientales como agua dulce y vegetación acuática, ne...

El manatí es una de las especies más icónicas y amenazadas de la Cuenca del Magdalena Medio en Colombia, en donde existen sitios idóneos para la presencia de especie, en los cuales se desconoce si está presente y su estado de conservación. El Proyecto Vida Silvestre proporciona estrategias para la conservación de la biodiversidad a escala paisaje c...

Conocer la tasa de crecimiento de estructuras dérmicas como pelo, vibrisas, bigotes entre otros, ha demostrado ser de ayuda para esclarecer aspectos tróficos de una población, comunidad o ecosistema, a diferentes escalas temporales, mediante el análisis de posibles cambios en la composición química (isótopos estables, ácidos grasos y otros) de los...

El río Hondo, así como la Bahía de Chetumal (México), es un hábitat tradicional para el manatí antillano Trichechus manatus manatus, una especie en peligro de extinción según la UICN. A pesar de su vulnerabilidad e importancia para los manatíes, el río no es considerado parte del Santuario del Manatí y, por lo tanto, no tiene una protección especia...

Manatees Trichechus manatus manatus occupying the Caribbean coast of Mexico (Mx) and the entire coast of Belize (Bz) belong to the same sub-population, and mortality analysis must be conducted on a regional scale. Here, we updated the review of manatee mortality cases reported between 2008 and 2018 along the Caribbean coast of Mexico and in Belize...

Una buena nutrición asegura a los individuos la energía necesaria para efectuar procesos vitales como crecimiento, mantenimiento, reproducción, lactancia entre otros, y se basa en la selección de una dieta que aporte los nutrientes adecuados para satisfacer las necesidades del organismo de agua, combustible, constituyentes estructurales y regulació...

En México, el manatí antillano habita en los sistemas hídricos que desembocan en el Golfo de México y en las costas del Mar Caribe. El río Hondo es un sistema fluvial que desemboca en la Bahía de Chetumal y previos estudios lo reconocen como un hábitat de importancia para el manatí, porque reúne las condiciones ambientales como agua dulce y vegetac...

Thesis protocol