USGS researcher collects data on manatee in Florida spring.
By Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
April 10, 2017
We appreciate your interest in USGS' Sirenia Project. To help inform members of the media and public, we have provided relevant publications, reports, and websites.
USGS scientists have devoted more than forty years to studying the biology and ecology of the West Indian manatee. Research conducted by our scientists is used to help inform management actions, including the recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's announcement to downlist the West Indian manatee from endangered to threatened. Here, you will find information on the manatee science conducted by USGS. For more information, please use the contacts provided.
Every few years, USGS conducts a comprehensive analysis on the the status and threats for the Florida manatee. Those reports can be found here:
Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2016
Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2012
A core stochastic population projection model for Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
A Quantitative Threats Analysis for the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Related
Manatee Health Assessment and Biomedical Studies
A multi-agency effort assesses the health of manatees and provides baseline information on their health, reproductive status, and nutritional condition.
Seagrass Beds and Manatee Foraging Areas in the Ten Thousand Islands: Mapping and Characterizing by Incorporating Manatee GPS Tracking Data and Habitat Information
Turbid water conditions make the delineation and characterization of benthic habitats difficult by traditional in situ and remote sensing methods. Consequently, only a small fraction of this valuable resource has been mapped or characterized.
Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf
USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf.
Modeling, Estimation, and Adaptive Management of Florida Manatees
The Challenge: Florida manatees are threatened by watercraft-related mortality, the potential loss of warmwater habitat, red tide events, and other anthropogenic factors. The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have regulatory authorities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and state statutes to recover manatees. To support...
West Indian Manatee Population Genetics
Nuclear microsatellite markers have been developed and implemented on ~2,000 West Indian manatees. These markers provide individual genetic fingerprints for mark-recapture studies, population structure information for the conservation of unique or isolated populations, and pedigree and relatedness information for addressing inbreeding and breeding structure patterns.
Monitoring and Assessing Effects of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) on the Florida Manatee
Critical information predicting condition changes in manatee habitat resulting from the alteration of freshwater flows to estuaries is needed to develop the PSRP Detailed Design and PSRP Operations Plan components and complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act.
USGS Researcher with Manatee
USGS researcher collects data on manatee in Florida spring.
Manatee in Florida Spring
Manatee swims in a Florida spring
Manatee swims in a Florida spring
Two manatees with radio transmitters attached
Two manatees with radio transmitters attached
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass BedsA manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass BedsA manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
Related
Manatee Health Assessment and Biomedical Studies
A multi-agency effort assesses the health of manatees and provides baseline information on their health, reproductive status, and nutritional condition.
Seagrass Beds and Manatee Foraging Areas in the Ten Thousand Islands: Mapping and Characterizing by Incorporating Manatee GPS Tracking Data and Habitat Information
Turbid water conditions make the delineation and characterization of benthic habitats difficult by traditional in situ and remote sensing methods. Consequently, only a small fraction of this valuable resource has been mapped or characterized.
Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf
USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf.
Modeling, Estimation, and Adaptive Management of Florida Manatees
The Challenge: Florida manatees are threatened by watercraft-related mortality, the potential loss of warmwater habitat, red tide events, and other anthropogenic factors. The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have regulatory authorities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and state statutes to recover manatees. To support...
West Indian Manatee Population Genetics
Nuclear microsatellite markers have been developed and implemented on ~2,000 West Indian manatees. These markers provide individual genetic fingerprints for mark-recapture studies, population structure information for the conservation of unique or isolated populations, and pedigree and relatedness information for addressing inbreeding and breeding structure patterns.
Monitoring and Assessing Effects of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) on the Florida Manatee
Critical information predicting condition changes in manatee habitat resulting from the alteration of freshwater flows to estuaries is needed to develop the PSRP Detailed Design and PSRP Operations Plan components and complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act.
USGS Researcher with Manatee
USGS researcher collects data on manatee in Florida spring.
USGS researcher collects data on manatee in Florida spring.
Manatee in Florida Spring
Manatee swims in a Florida spring
Manatee swims in a Florida spring
Two manatees with radio transmitters attached
Two manatees with radio transmitters attached
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass BedsA manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass BedsA manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.