African Aquatic Conservation Fund Inc

THROUGH FOCUSED RESEARCH, CONSERVATION, AND EDUCATION ACTIONS, THE AFRICAN AQUATIC CONSERVATION FUND IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF AFRICAN MANATEES, TURTLES, AND OTHER AQUATIC WILDLIFE AND THEIR HABITATS THROUGHOUT THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. WE WORK IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL PEOPLE, SCIENTISTS, GOVERNMENTS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH WILDLIFE AND HUMANS.

THE AFRICAN MANATEE PROGRAM LEADER SUPERVISED FOUR GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM FOUR COUNTRIES AND CONDUCTED FIELDWORK PROGRAMS IN SENEGAL. THE PI LED THE FIRST AFRICAN MANATEE SYMPOSIUM (VIRTUALLY, 80 ATTENDEES) IN JANUARY 2021. AFRICAN MANATEE THREAT ASSESSMENTS CONTINUED IN FOUR COUNTRIES (SENEGAL, THE GAMBIA, NIGERIA, AND CAMEROON) LED BY THE AFRICAN MANATEE PROJECT LEADER. PREPARATION BEGAN FOR FIELDWORK AND A TRAINING PROGRAM IN GUINEA (TWO MONTHS OF WORK). AFRICAN MANATEE GENETICS, FEEDING ECOLOGY, AND AGE DETERMINATION STUDIES CONTINUED WITH COLLABORATORS FROM SIX AFRICAN COUNTRIES. WE LED EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN EIGHT SCHOOLS IN JOAL, SENEGAL THAT REACHED ALMOST 2000 STUDENTS. THE PI AND COLLABORATORS PUBLISHED EIGHT SCIENTIFIC MANUSCRIPTS. AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT SCIENTIFIC MANUSCRIPTS AND FOUR BOOK CHAPTERS ARE IN PREPARATION.

THE AFRICAN CHELONIAN INSTITUTE LED SURVEYS TO DOCUMENT SEA TURTLE POACHING IN MBODIENE AND JOAL, SENEGAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JOAL-FADIOUTH MARINE PROTECTED AREA. A NEW PROJECT TO DOCUMENT A RARE FRESHWATER TURTLE SPECIES BEGAN IN SOUTHEASTERN SENEGAL AND INCLUDED INTERVIEWS AND FIELD SURVEYS. ACI HELD THE FIRST NATIONAL SEA TURTLE AWARENESS DAYS FOR SENEGAL; A FIVE DAY EVENT INCLUDING PRESENTATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS, A SKIT AND BEACH CLEAN UPS. IT WAS ATTENDED BY 1500 STUDENTS PLUS OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN JOAL. SEA TURTLE NESTS IN NGAZOBIL WERE MONITORED; 25 NESTS WERE DOCUMENTED. WORK BEGAN FOR THE FOREST TORTOISE REINTRODUCTION PROJECT IN COTE D'IVOIRE WITH BUILDING AN ENCLOSURE AND INTRODUCING 21 CONFICATED TORTOISES INTO IT AT AZAGNY NATIONAL PARK. A TEMPORARY TURTLE FACILTY WAS MAINTAINED IN NGAZOBIL AS WELL. ACI STAFF PUBLISHED TWO SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS.

THE AFRICAN CETACEANS PROGRAM BEGAN WITH PROJECTS IN MADAGASCAR AND SENEGAL. IN SENEGAL, WE BEGAN A STUDY OF ATLANTIC HUMPBACK DOLPHINS WITH PHOTO IDENTIFICATION SURVEYS THROUGHOUT DELTA SALOUM, DEPLOYED TWO ACOUSTIC RECORDERS, AND TRAINED TWO RESEARCHERS FROM SENEGAL AND THE GAMBIA. ADDITIONALLY, WE BEGAN A PASSIVE ACOUSTIC MONITORING PROGRAM FOR WHALES OFF DAKAR WITH TWO RECORDERS THAT WERE DEPLOYED IN JUNE 2021 AND RECOVERED IN NOVEMBER 2021; THESE WERE REDEPLOYED FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS IN NOVEMBER. IN MADAGASCAR, EXISTING ACOUSTIC MONITORING RECORDERS AT THREE SITES ALONG THE WEST COAST INCLUDING NOSY BE, MAHAJANGA AND TOLIARA WERE RECOVERED AND REDEPLOYED. THE PI PUBLISHED 1 PEER-REVIEWED PAPER, AND 3 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. AN ADDITIONAL 5 BOOK CHAPTERS AND 1 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATION ARE IN PRESS.

THE SENEGAL STRANDING NETWORK CONDUCTED TWO COASTAL STRANDING SURVEYS, AS WELL AS RESPONDING TO CARCASSES OUTSIDE OF SURVEYS. WE DOCUMENTED 14 STRANDED SEA TURTLES AND 30 STRANDED CETACEANS (ALL WERE SAMPLED FOR GENETICS, TAXONOMY AND OTHER DATA COLLECTION). WE PARTNERED WITH COLLEAGUES FROM THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR CETACEAN TAXONOMY AND GENETICS STUDIES. WE ALSO ANALYZED STRANDING DATA COLLECTED SINCE 2014 TO BEGIN WRITING A MANUSCRIPT FOR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION.