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 Content
Demographic and Population Models to Assess Recovery and Status of the Endangered Florida Manatee
Population models developed by USGS are the primary decision-support tools used for status assessments, and rely on estimates of adult survival and reproduction rates from mark-recapture studies.
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...
Modeling Past Variation in Florida Manatee Survival, Breeding, and Movements Rates to Establish Baselines for Aquatic Ecosystem and Restoration Research
Long-term monitoring data in the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System (MIPS), developed and coordinated by WARC-Sirenia Project in collaboration with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory, are the basis for modeling manatee demography rates.
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.
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.
Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)
Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.
Structured Decision Making for Management of Warm-Water Habitat of Manatees
Manatees are tropical to subtropical in distribution and, with few exceptions, Florida is the northern limit of their natural winter range. The availability of warm-water habitat during winter is critical for the future persistence of the population in Florida.
Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
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.
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.
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
Two manatees with radio transmitters attached
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
A manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
A manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
Related Content
Demographic and Population Models to Assess Recovery and Status of the Endangered Florida Manatee
Population models developed by USGS are the primary decision-support tools used for status assessments, and rely on estimates of adult survival and reproduction rates from mark-recapture studies.
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...
Modeling Past Variation in Florida Manatee Survival, Breeding, and Movements Rates to Establish Baselines for Aquatic Ecosystem and Restoration Research
Long-term monitoring data in the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System (MIPS), developed and coordinated by WARC-Sirenia Project in collaboration with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory, are the basis for modeling manatee demography rates.
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.
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.
Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)
Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.
Structured Decision Making for Management of Warm-Water Habitat of Manatees
Manatees are tropical to subtropical in distribution and, with few exceptions, Florida is the northern limit of their natural winter range. The availability of warm-water habitat during winter is critical for the future persistence of the population in Florida.
Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
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.
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.
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
Two manatees with radio transmitters attached
Aerial Photo of a Manatee Feeding on Seagrass Beds
A manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
A manatee feeds on sea grass beds in Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida.
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