Seven representatives from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) participated in The Society for Marine Mammalogy’s 26th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals on October 19-23, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, marking the first time the conference was held in Latin America. Dr. Anmari Alvarez-Aleman, CMA’s Sr. Vice President of Research and Conservation, served as the Conference Co-Chair, while six CMARI researchers presented findings highlighting the Institute’s diverse manatee research and conservation efforts.
Sarah Farinelli delivered an oral presentation on drone-based monitoring of Florida manatees to inform winter sanctuary management at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.
Monica Ross, Julia Courville, and Nicole Bartlett presented posters examining manatee movements through navigational locks, habitat use in the Ocklawaha River system, and the importance of natural warm-water refuges in the St. Johns River.
Jamal Galves (CMARI-Belize) presented rare video documentation of a tiger shark attack on a Greater Caribbean manatee in Belize, providing new insights into natural predation.
Finally, Cheryl Munday presented a case study titled “Right Whale Festival: Building a Whale-Focused Community,” which won best student poster presentation from North America.
CMARI researchers are also co-authors on several additional presentations addressing manatee acoustics, habitat suitability, physiological stress, movement ecology, and detection methods, and North Atlantic Right whale ecology.
Attending this international conference provides CMARI researchers with valuable opportunities to share their findings, exchange knowledge with leading marine mammal scientists, strengthen existing collaborations, and establish new partnerships that advance marine mammal research and conservation worldwide.
We appreciate our donors who have made and continue to make this important work possible, including the following key supporters who provided resources for our researchers to attend: New England Aquarium, USFWS Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors, Fahlo, and NOAA Fisheries.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium was proud to sponsor the 26th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, supporting the advancement of marine mammal science, fostering international collaboration, empowering the next generation of scientists, and promoting meaningful conservation efforts to protect our oceans and marine biodiversity.