Favorable weather leads to high manatee count
News Release
Friday, January 28, 2011
Media contact: Carli Segelson, 727-896-8626
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) reported a preliminary count of 4,840 manatees
statewide during the annual synoptic survey. The survey took place
Jan. 20 and Jan. 24.
A team of 20 observers from 11 organizations counted 2,438
manatees on Florida's East Coast and 2,402 on the West Coast of the
state. The final numbers will be available at the end of February,
following verification of the survey data.
In aerial manatee surveys, ideal conditions occur during a
warming trend following a prolonged period of cold weather, when
manatees gather around warm-water sites.
"Although weather conditions were not as cold as last year, we
had excellent conditions leading up to, and during this year's
survey," said FWC manatee biologist Holly Edwards.
The goal of the synoptic survey is to count as many manatees as
possible. The survey results provide researchers with a minimum
number of manatees in Florida waters at the time of the survey and
are not considered a population estimate. Because the number of
manatees that were not visible during the survey is unknown, these
counts cannot be used to determine long-term population
trends.
"The relatively high counts this year are encouraging, given the
extremely high number of manatees that died from cold stress in
2010," said Gil McRae, director of the FWC's Fish and Wildlife
Research Institute.
Over the next few years, the FWC will rely on monitoring
programs to better understand long-term implications from these
cold-related deaths.
Researchers have been conducting synoptic surveys since 1991,
weather permitting, to meet the state's requirement for an annual
count of manatees in Florida waters.
To report a dead or injured manatee, call the FWC's Wildlife
Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.
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