Marine Mammal Research at Turneffe Atoll

Research on Turneffe’s Manatees and Dolphins

Turneffe enjoys some of the area’s largest populations of bottlenose dolphins and Antillean manatees. Over past decades, these populations have been studied extensively with The Oceanic Society leading these efforts. Several publications are below.

Bottlenose dolphins in Turneffe Atoll, Belize: occurrence, site fidelity, group size and abundance

Gregory S. Campbell, Barbara A. Bilgre, R.H. Defran

Habitat use by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at Turneffe Atoll, Belize

E. Grigg and H Markowitz

Documenting Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) Presence at Turneffe Atoll, Belize

Holly Edwards, Suzanne Stone, Ellen Hines, Nicole Auil Gomez, Birgit Winning

Eric Ramos has been studying Turneffe’s marine mammals for many years and has published a number of articles detailing the populations of bottlenose dolphins and Antillean manatees at Turneffe Atoll.

Potential Infanticide Attempt of Common Bottlenose Dolphins on a Young Calf in a Tropical in Caribbean Atoll

Eric Ramos et al.

Lobomycosis-like disease in bottlenose dolphins in Belize and Mexico: Bridging the gap between the Americas

Eric Ramos et al.

Behavioral and physiological responses of captive Antillean manatees to small aerial drones

Eric Ramos et al.

Using small drones to photo-identify Antillean manatees: a novel method for monitoring an endangered mammal

in the Caribbean Sea

Eric Ramos et al.

Analysis of body condition indices reveals different ecotypes of the Antillean manatee

D.N. Castelblanco-Martinez, D.H. Tone, S.S. Landeo-Yaurii, Eric Ramos et al