Jim Reid is a Scientist Emeritus at WARC in Gainesville, FL.
Jim Reid's research interests included the use of GPS, Argos and VHF radio tracking techniques in field-based studies of manatees; seagrass mapping and characterization studies to assess benthic habitats; photo-identification and behavioral observations on individuals; cooperation in international studies of sirenians. From 1990 until his retirement in 2020, Reid was a Fish and Wildlife Biologist with the U. S Geological Survey's Sirenia Project. For the program, he coordinated the application of tagging and tracking systems for research on manatees in the US and Puerto Rico; managed the project’s program of GPS tags monitored through the satellite-based tracking system Service Argos; conducted assessments of marine habitats known to be essential for manatees accomplished by mapping nearshore habitats and seagrass characterization studies; acted as an investigator in radio tracking studies of manatees Everglades National Park, Atlantic coast of southeastern US, northern Gulf of Mexico, and Puerto Rico; acts as field staff for photography efforts at winter aggregation sites for the Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS), a computerized database on recognizable manatees; and collaborated with personnel from DOI, DOD, NGOs, and the Commonwealth. Reid's international research co-evolved with manatee researchers in other countries (Brazil, Bahamas, Mexico) to address manatee status, distribution, life history, and research techniques.
Education and Certifications
B.A., Zoology, University of Montana Missoula, 1979
Science and Products
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in Brevard County, Florida
Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Winter Manatee Foraging Behavior and the Decline of Seagrass Beds in the Northern Indian River Lagoon
Science and Products
- Science
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in Brevard County, Florida
USGS researchers are working with partners to assess the health and foraging behavior of Florida manatees in the northern Indian River Lagoon and Banana River, areas that have experienced declining seagrasses due to an extended phytoplankton bloom.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.Winter Manatee Foraging Behavior and the Decline of Seagrass Beds in the Northern Indian River Lagoon
With high numbers of manatees using the Florida Power and Light power plant warm water refuge during winter, their impact on the seagrass beds in the Indian River Lagoon is considered an important indicator of the long-term capacity of the area to support the manatees. USGS is working with partners to investigate the spatial extent and intensity of manatee use of seagrass beds in the area. - Data
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