Sirenian Voice is the offical Yahoo Group for Sirenian International. We're saving manatees and dugongs around the world through reseach, capacity building, and educational outreach. Use this group to communicate with people who are passionate about these "real mermaids", the gentle giants of the sea. Ask a Question and get an answer from a real manatee or dugong biologist!

Over the past few years, we've been working with the IUCN Species Survival Commission's Sirenia Specialist Group to complete an updated assessment for the only four extant species in the Order Sirenia. The 2007 Assessment is now online at http://www.iucnredlist.org. Unfortunately, the report indicates that most manatee and dugong populations around the world continue to be fragmented, in decline, and threatened with extinction, primarily due to unsustainable human activities.

As ambassadors from the coastal zone, manatees and dugongs serve as indicators of our own future. Their precarious situation gives us warning: if we continue to pollute and destroy coastal and riverine habitats, both sirenians and people will suffer because these habitats that are essential to our quality of life!

The mission of Sirenian International is to promote the long-term conservation of these threatened manatee and dugong populations, and our shared aquatic habitats, on a global scale. Our methods include scientific research, capacity building, education, and intercultural collaboration through our Participating Members who develop and implement conservation projects at the grassroots level around the world. Your gift and continued support help make it possible for us to expand and enrich the services we provide.