(l-r) Dr. Katie Tripp, SMC's Director of Science and Conservation, was presented with the Reep-Bonde award for manatee biology, and Ph.D. student Maggie Kellogg was presented with the Bonde-Reep award for her manatee conservation work at the recent Marine Mammal Health Conference. (Photo by Artie Wong, Save the Manatee Club)

By Artie Wong, Staff Biologist

The University of Florida Marine Mammal Health Conference was held recently on April 22-25, 2008. The conference was organized by the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and held at the University of Florida's Whitney Laboratory in St. Augustine, FL. Researchers from government agencies, academia, and private organizations gathered for the week to present findings in marine mammal research and conservation. The conference included attendees from the Sirenia Genetics Conference, as well as other marine mammal researchers in Florida and throughout the United States.

Conference presentations were based on genetics, algal biotoxins, power plants and manatees, North Atlantic Right Whales, and health assessments. The conference was chaired by Dr. Roger L. Reep, a Professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences at the University of Florida and a member of the Save the Manatee Club's Board of Directors. SMC Executive Director Patrick Rose chaired a session at the conference on Power Plants and Manatees.

Dr. Katie Tripp, SMC's Director of Science and Conservation, was presented with the Reep-Bonde award for manatee biology, and Ph.D. student Maggie Kellogg was presented with the Bonde-Reep award for her manatee conservation work. The $1000 award is funded by all proceeds received from sales of the book The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation by Roger L. Reep and Robert K. Bonde.

In addition to the Marine Mammal Health Conference, the Sirenia Population Genetics Conference was held April 20-21, 2008 in Orlando, FL. The gathering of geneticists worked to describe current research techniques, present the latest findings in manatee and dugong conservation, and explore conservation efforts in new areas such as Thailand and West Africa. Robert K. Bonde of the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sirenia genetics community by Dr. Peter McGuire from the University of Florida's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The genetics conference was attended by researchers from Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the continental US.

(l-r) Robert K. Bonde of the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Dr. Peter McGuire from the University of Florida on behalf of the Sirenia genetics community. (Photo by Artie Wong, Save the Manatee Club)

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The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation Read more about manatees in Roger L. Reep and Robert K. Bonde's book. $34.95 Buy Now! Go to our Manatee Gifts page.

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