The AAPA has joined efforts to rebuild infrastructure at Cayo Santiago following the direct hit by Hurricane Maria.

For 85 years the Cayo Santiago macaques have been important to long term studies of primate behavior and ecology, the understanding of the heritability of phenotypic traits, and many other bioanthropological questions. The small island of Cayo Santiago and the port town of Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico were directly hit by Hurricane Maria –vegetation was stripped and infrastructure decimated. Many of the monkeys remain but are imperiled by environmental destruction and infrastructure loses on the mainland. Despite losing much in the way of their personal possessions, Cayo personnel were immediately back on the island to help assess, feed and care for the monkeys.

Two gofundme campaigns are underway. Cayo Santiago alumni have started a gofundme campaign to identify needs for CPRC (Caribbean Primate Research Center) employees (both Cayo and Sabana Seca) who have lost much but continue to care for the monkeys. A second affiliated campaign by a consortium of research scientists including the CPRC director focuses on rebuilding infrastructure on the island and providing supplies and support related to the monkeys. The links to both are below.

Cayo Monkeys/Infrastructure: https://www.gofundme.com/cayo-santiago-monkeys-maria-relief Cayo Personnell: https://www.gofundme.com/helpcayo

More about the efforts can be read here https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/09/the-uncertain-fate-of-puerto-ricos-monkey-island/541080/

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