Behavioral Ecology
Research on manatee use of Florida’s coastal habitats is essential to understanding the resources required to recover and sustain a healthy population.
Research on manatee use of Florida’s coastal and riverine habitats is essential to understanding the resources required to recover and sustain a healthy population. By tracking the movements of individual manatees in fresh, brackish, and saltwater habitats, FWC biologists obtain valuable information about manatee seasonal and daily movement patterns, migratory behavior, site fidelity, diving behavior, and habitat requirements.
To track manatees, researchers place a padded belt around a manatee’s tail and tether a floating radio-tag containing a satellite-linked transmitter to the belt. The satellite-derived locations provide a detailed record of manatee movements over long periods. In the field, biologists locate these study animals by homing in on the tag’s unique radio and ultrasonic signals in order to obtain data on behavior, group size, habitat, and movements. Processed data are mapped in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and are made available to managers for use in devising strategies for manatee conservation and recovery, developing regulations, and evaluating permits.
In FY 2007-2008, the behavioral ecology program continued research studying manatee interactions with motorized watercraft in collaboration with researchers at Florida State University (FSU) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. A thorough understanding of the behavioral and sensory mechanisms underlying manatee-boat collisions is necessary in order to devise effective avoidance approaches. The goal of the project is to create a combined picture of manatee behavior, acoustics, and vessel trajectories so that we can better understand the responses displayed by manatees when approached by boats and the acoustic cues that may mediate such responses.
In FY 2006-2007, work focused on research, development, and pilot testing of a state-of-the-art digital acoustic recording tag (“dTag”) designed to record manatee response to vessels. In FY 2007-2008, the first full field season was conducted on tagged manatees in southwest Florida. In addition to the Trust Fund, this project was funded by the FWC Florida Manatee Avoidance Technology Program, the FWC Office of Boating and Waterways, and the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.
Habitat is a key factor influencing manatee population dynamics. In particular, warm-water carrying capacity is of great interest to FWC and agency partners because predicted loss of warm-water habitat is deemed a key threat to the manatee population. Current estimates of carrying capacity are based on expert opinion. A conceptual framework of studies to determine carrying capacity is needed, as identified within the Manatee Management Plan. FWRI has worked with management staff and outside partners to advance the development of a conceptual framework for studies to determine warm-water carrying capacity as well as broader warm-water habitat issues. A conceptual framework will help to identify critical information gaps to ensure that limited resources are directed towards the highest-priority research needs. The aim is to place warm-water research in the context of over-arching management needs and to provide a common vision for the future on this important issue.
To view highlights from the 2007–2008 fiscal year, download
Behavioral Ecology 2007–2008 Highlights (PDF File—188 KB)
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