Multi‐Scale Habitat Selection of Greater Caribbean Manatees in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Greater Caribbean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, are more likely to inhabit areas near seafloor depressions and closer to land, with habitat preferences varying significantly across spatial scales. This study is the first to model manatee habitat selection at multiple scales—study area and 1-km buffer—using GPS data from 102 opportunistic encounters and a pseudo-absence approach. It found that proximity to seafloor depressions increased manatee presence at both scales, while land proximity was a significant factor only at the larger scale. The research underscores the ecological importance of seafloor features for manatees and highlights the necessity of multi-scale approaches in habitat selection studies.

Gagnon, É., Castelblanco‐Martínez, N., Ramos, E. A., Aguilera‐Miranda, I. D., Velasco, J. A., Brady, B., Rieucau, G., & Martin, J. G. A. (2025). Multi‐Scale Habitat Selection of Greater Caribbean Manatees in Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Marine Mammal Science, 42(1). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70072