Mind The Manatee: Florida Boaters May Pose Hazards To Rebounding Sea Cows

Florida manatee populations are increasing, according to a team of researchers, which means that holiday and summer boaters must mind the manatee zone signs to avoid harming these gentle giants

The numbers of manatees in Florida are rising, according to an announcement from Jacksonville University (JU). Last week, a record number of manatees were counted during single-day aerial surveys of Florida’s lower St. Johns River basin and the Intracoastal Waterway. The researchers conducting the surveys reported a 15% increase to 217 animals over the previous record of 189 in 2012.

The smallest population numbers were recorded in 2009, when just 73 manatees were counted in both survey areas. According to Dr Gerry Pinto, a research scientist with the JU Marine Science Research Institute, which performs the Duval County counts under contract with the city of Jacksonville in support of the Jacksonville Manatee Protection Plan, those low counts were probably the result of a drought. The drought raised salinity levels in the river, which can kill the seagrasses and aquatic vegetation that manatees feed on, so the animals probably moved upstream and out of the JU survey areas.

These increasing numbers in Duval County are consistent with manatee population trends recorded across the state. The Florida manatee population, which reached an estimated low of 1,267 in 1991, now numbers around 6,250, a 500% increase, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC).

The FWCC's Florida Wildlife Research Institute coordinates an annual statewide aerial count of manatees during the winter because the animals huddle around warm water outlets, making them easier to locate and count.

"During the winter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission organizes synoptic flights where about 16 different groups (we are one of the observers) do an almost simultaneous surveillance to count manatees, especially those that congregate at the warm water outfalls, both man-made (power plants) and natural springs", said Dr Quinton White, who is the Executive Director of the JU Marine Science Research Institute.

However, aerial manatee surveys may be conducted at other times of the year to assist local or county-wide conservation efforts.

"We now fly before major holidays to aid law enforcement as to where the manatees might be. This is to support the manatee protection efforts", said Dr Quinton White in email.

Overall, manatee numbers are probably rebounding due to stronger state regulations and more boating speed zones, according to Dr Pinto.

“lt’s encouraging that the population is increasing, but there is a worry because more manatees means we might see more deaths from encounters with boats, so that’s the downside”, cautioned Dr Pinto.

Although Florida manatees are found in the waters off Jacksonville all year, their highest concentrations are recorded during the summer months.

The increased numbers of manatees coincide with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, which is widely viewed as the beginning of summer and as the start of boating season. Because the numbers of fast-moving motorboats sharply increase during this holiday and remain high during the summer months, slow-moving manatees face increased risks to life and limb, especially from whirring boat propellers and from collisions by boats.

Already, a boat has caused the death of a manatee near Talleyrand, according to Dr Pinto.

In fact, boating causes more harm to manatees than any other human activity, although pollution from runoff also has an impact, said Dr White in email.

In addition to carefully observing manatee speed zone signs and buoys, the researchers advised boaters to use polarized sunglasses so they can watch for manatees while boating in shallow areas and near shorelines where manatees feed and rest. It also is against the law to feed or to provide water to manatees, or to pursue them.

“This next month will really show whether [...] we’re doing a good job of protecting or whether we’re going to see more casualties”, said Dr Pinto.

“There has been a lot of educational outreach as well, and that has increased awareness”, said Dr Pinto.

For example, all state manatee research and management activities are funded only through sales of the "Save the Manatee" automobile license tags, boat registration fees, and voluntary contributions.

“We need to celebrate the success of saving the manatee as a society, and we’ve seen pretty widespread acceptance of protecting manatees as a policy,” said Dr White.

“No one wants to hurt a manatee. We in marine life studies call them charismatic megafauna for a reason: they’re big animals that people love,” said Dr White.

These conservation efforts have been so successful that the Florida manatee may be downlisted from "endangered" to "threatened" by the USFWS.

“However, just because something might no longer be listed as endangered doesn’t mean our protective regulations will go away, because they won’t,” Dr White pointed out.

If the manatee is downlisted to threatened, this will not affect federal protections currently under the ESA, and regardless of their endangered status, manatees are still protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Sources:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Guidelines for Protecting Native Wildlife: Florida Manatees (PDF).

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A Boater's Guide to Living with Florida Manatees (PDF).

Mind The Manatee: Florida Boaters May Pose Hazards to Rebounding Sea Cows | @GrrlScientist