In Search of 'Mamiwata'

Mamiwata is an African name for a spirit believed to be embodied by the manatee. This blog chronicles my search for the elusive African manatee, and my exploration to understand its biology, habitat and preservation needs, economic and cultural significance. So little is known about this animal, yet it is intensely hunted almost everywhere it exists and may already be gone from much of its previous range. In 2006 I was inspired to go find and study them, starting in Gabon.

Monday, August 05, 2013

SMM Travel Awards

Some good news for the start of the week:

I received notification from the Society for Marine Mammalogy that I've received a student travel award to attend their conference in New Zealand next December. I'll present some of my African manatee genetics dissertation work as a poster, and I also hope to give a talk at the Sirenian Workshop before the conference.

Also, my colleague Aristide Kamla from Cameroon, who has started his country's first marine mammal stranding network and is applying to PhD programs to continue his studies of manatee in Cameroon, has received an award from the Society for Marine Mammalogy's International Relations Committee to support his attendance for the same conference by paying his accommodation expenses and registration fees.

Thanks to generous funding by my USFWS and IUCN/Save Our Species grants, our airfares to this conference will also be covered.