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To determine the seasonal distribution of manatees in Tampa Bay, FL. |
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To determine the seasonal distribution of manatees in Tampa Bay, FL. |
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Flights were flown and data were collected by FWC staff. Data were entered and verified by FWC staff. Use of these data must be credited in any reports or other written publications by the following sentence: "Manatee specific data used in analyses were collected under scientific research permit #MA773494 issued to FWC-FWRI." |
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Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually three hours (west Tampa Bay) and four and half hours (east Tampa Bay) long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two and half years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Tampa Bay were flown twice a month from January 1995 to June 1997. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the largest estuary in Florida, which borders Pinellas, Hillsbourough, and Manatee counties on Florida’s west coast. Tampa Bay consists of mostly shallow water (average 3m) with Egmont Channel (27m) and the main dredged shipping channels (13m). Five rivers enter the Bay: Hillsborough, Alafia, Little Manatee, Manatee, and Braden rivers. The area includes large expanses of seagrass in Boca Ciega Bay and Anna Maria Sound. Many undeveloped areas under state or federal management were part of the study area, including Egmont Key, Passage Key, and Pinellas national wildlife refuge. |
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Acknowledgement of the FWC-FWRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute) as the data source would be appreciated in any products developed from these data, and such acknowledgment as is standard for citation and legal practices for data source is expected by users of this data. Please cite the original metadata when using portions of the record to create a similar record of slightly altered data, such as reprojection. If any data are modified or adjusted, please share the edited information with FWC. Users should be aware that comparison with other data sets for the same area from other time periods may be inaccurate due to inconsistencies resulting from changes in mapping conventions, data collection, and computer processes over time. FWC shall not be liable for improper or incorrect use of this data. These data are not legal documents and are not to be used as such. |
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Tampa Bay Aerial Distribution Survey for Manatees (January 1995 to June 1997) |
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["Pinellas","Manatee","Marine Mammal Research","manatee","FWC Region-Southwest","Florida","biota","marine mammals","research","Southwest Florida Water Management District","Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute","winter","spring","summer","fall","Hillsborough","Wildlife Research","threatened and endangered (turtles","whales","manatees","sturgeon)"] |
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