The use of manatees for the control of aquatic weeds in Guyana

The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) has been widely suggested as a means of biological control of aquatic weeds. Despite significant research little data is available from existing manatee installations.Manatees have been used in Guyana for weed control for over a century and are still being used today. Data was collected from a number of sites, both past and present, to establish the reliability of the manatee as a weed control agent and to formulate a series of guidelines on which to base future manatee developments.