Japan Manatee Education and Study Lab!
WELCOME TO THE









Welcome! The Japan Manatee Education and Study Lab (JAMES) is an academic institution established by the only manatee researcher in Japan with the support of her colleagues. Manatees are large aquatic mammals whose ecology is filled with mystery. Because they live in shallow waters and are close to humans, they are impacted by poaching and environmental pollution and are on the verge of extinction.
Through our research efforts, we aim to better understand the ecology of manatees and make them known to as many people as possible. Additionally, we hope to bring our knowledge and experience to develop and implement environmental education programs that teach others to know, think, talk, and take action.




ACTIVITIES
What We Do

Behavioral Research in Reintroduction of Captive-Raised Amazonian Manatees
In the Amazon region of Brazil and Peru, there is a project to return the protected Amazonian manatees to the wild by releasing them back into the river. Dr. Mumi Kikuchi, a member of the Wildlife Research Center at Kyoto University, is participating in the project to return manatees to the wild and research their behavior after release.









Manatee Protection Efforts
We are working with the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization (AMMCO) in Cameroon to protect African manatees by taking measures to prevent the bycatch of manatees, providing environmental education to schools and local communities, and eradicating the invasive plant Salvinia Moleasta, which thrives in the manatee habitat.