Among these was Moses, the first manatee from Puerto Rico to be raised in captivity and then released to the wild. Data from the current study will be used to develop management strategies to protect these endangered mammals and their habitat. Tracking records have already documented manatee use of areas not previously recognized as typical manatee habitat, according to Jim Reid, a USGS biologist monitoring the manatee's movements. After one week, the male left the west coast and is now along the north coast near San Juan. One of the females briefly traveled north fifteen miles from the capture site to the surfing area off Rincon.
Transmitters attached to the manatees can relay location data via satellites for up to eight months.
Radio trackers use a VHF radio signal to locate and observe the tagged animals as they feed or rest near shore. Biologists hope to continue the project through the coming year by replacing old tags and tagging additional manatees in western Puerto Rico. As the Nation's largest natural resources science and civilian mapping agency, the USGS works in cooperation with nearly 2,000 organizations across the country to provide the reliable, impartial information needed by resource managers and planners.