Meeting the giants: The need for local ecological knowledge (LEK) as a tool for the participative management of manatees on Marajَ Island, Brazilian Amazonian coast

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been widely used as a source of reliable information for the development of research on the ecology of manatees. Based on this approach, the present study evaluated the level of knowledge related to manatees among the local fishermen on the east coast of Marajَ Island on the Brazilian Amazonian coast, which represents a zone of sympatry and hybridization between marine and Amazon species of manatees. Most of the interviewees (70%) displayed a high level of knowledge with regard to these mammals, and provided reliable information for mapping of the occurrence of the manatees within the study area, including identifying the habitats and areas that are most appropriate for their occurrence (based on their eating habits, preferred areas and records of sightings). The challenges faced by fishers as well as knowledge of other issues related to the challenges present in the Amazon region demonstrate the relevance of the data presented in this study. Furthermore, our findings reinforce the value of such information provided by fishermen, and demonstrate how it can be associated with scientific knowledge as an effective tool for the participatory management of manatees along the Brazilian Amazonian coast.