From March 16-18, 2026, a Drone Training & Capacity Building Workshop was held in the coastal town of Bayahíbe in the southern Dominican Republic, organized by the Wider Caribbean Manatee Alliance (WCMA) with assistance from local partner, the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (Fundemar). The WCMA is a program created from a partnership between Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to strengthen regional collaboration to conserve the Greater Caribbean manatee.
A total of 18 marine biologists, students, and conservation practitioners from across the Caribbean gathered for this hands-on training, focused on the application of drone technology for monitoring, research, and management of manatee populations throughout the region.
Participants represented nine countries, including Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the United States, highlighting the strong regional collaboration driving manatee conservation efforts.
Learning how to fly for Conservation: Drones in the Service of Manatee Protection
Drone technology has proven to be an effective tool for sampling marine mammal populations worldwide. Its application to manatee research in the Greater Caribbean offers a cost-effective, safe, and low-impact alternative to traditional survey methods.
The workshop was designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and benefits of using drone technology for manatee conservation and population management in the region. Additionally, case studies were presented to demonstrate the practical application of this technology.
On the first day, participants were introduced to the use of drones for manatee research and conservation. Theoretical and technical content was presented, covering the technology, its components, and how it operates. Participants also explored the types of scientific questions that can be addressed using this approach, as well as key legal, ethical, and safety considerations.
The second day of the workshop focused on standardized drone sampling methods, including the design of transects for rivers, lagoons, and coastal areas, data standardization, and flight parameters. In the afternoon, participants engaged in field exercises, including site safety assessments, supervised flights, photo and video capture, and data collection.
The third and final day focused on the processing and analysis of the data collected. Sessions covered data organization and storage, file naming conventions, the use of metadata, and backup strategies. For data analysis, participants reviewed imagery, counted detected manatees, identified calves and behaviors, and received an introduction to mapping and basic statistical analysis. During the practical session, participants applied all of the concepts learned throughout the workshop.
An Alliance in Action
As a result of the workshop, each participant returns to their country with clearly defined research questions and a practical methodology to generate meaningful results. This will enable the development of locally tailored studies that address key knowledge gaps and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of manatee populations across the region. To support this process, the WCMA will maintain active engagement with participants over the next year, following the progress of their individual projects and fostering continued collaboration. As a continuation of this training and to further amplify its impact, the WCMA is also launching a campaign to recover and refurbish used drones, redistributing them across the Wider Caribbean to support local biologists and students in advancing their research and conservation work.
This workshop represents a key action within the regional strategy of the WCMA, which aims to strengthen capacity and build a dynamic network of collaborators across member countries. This strategy emerged from the Alliance’s first meeting in 2025, where priority research and conservation needs for the Greater Caribbean manatee were collectively identified.
The Greater Caribbean Manatee Alliance remains committed to advancing regional capacity, promoting collaboration, and supporting the use of ethical and innovative approaches to ensure the long-term conservation of manatees.
Help Us Equip Local Researchers
Do you have a used drone gathering dust on a shelf? Clearwater Marine Aquarium is collecting retired drones to put them directly into the hands of the Caribbean biologists and students who just completed the WCMA training workshop. By donating your gear, you provide local researchers with the vital tools they need to monitor and protect vulnerable manatee populations across nine countries! Fill out our quick donation form today to get started.
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