Manatee Synoptic Survey Flight Path (2004-present)

Metadata:


Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Publication_Date:
201403
Title:
Manatee Synoptic Survey Flight Path (2004-present)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:
vector digital data
Online_Linkage:
http://ocean.floridamarine.org/mrgis/
Description:
Abstract:
The word “synoptic” means presenting a general view of the whole. The current manatee synoptic survey is a count of manatees over a broad area. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) uses these surveys to obtain a general count of manatees statewide. The FWC coordinates an interagency team that conducts the synoptic surveys from one to three times each year (weather permitting). The synoptic surveys are conducted in winter and cover all of the known wintering habitats of manatees in Florida. The survey is conducted to meet Florida state statute 370.12 (4), which requires an annual, impartial, scientific benchmark census of the manatee population. From 1991 through 2014, the counts have been conducted 28 times. These statewide, interagency surveys are currently conducted during the coldest weather of the year (January through March) when manatees move to warm-water sites, such as natural springs, thermal discharges from power and industrial plants, and deep canals. The ideal conditions for the current synoptic survey are cool weather, following a prolonged period of cold weather (usually following multiple cold fronts), low winds, and bright sunshine. Weather conditions and manatee behavior during the survey have a large effect on the synoptic counts. For that reason, the counts are used as indicators of relative abundance within a year and are not suitable for assessing long-term population trends. Counts can vary depending on whether it is warm or cold, sunny or cloudy, calm or windy. Manatees are more easily counted a few days after a cold front when it is slightly warmer, clear, and windless. A warming trend with sunny, windless conditions following cold weather increases the likelihood that manatees will be resting at the water's surface, where observers can easily spot them.
Purpose:
To obtain a general (minimum) count of manatees statewide.
Supplemental_Information:
-Prior to July 1, 2004, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) was known as the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI). The Institute's name has not been changed in historical data sets or references to work completed by the Florida Marine Research Institute. The Institute's name has been changed in references to ongoing research, new research, and contact information.--
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date:
2004
Ending_Date:
Present
Currentness_Reference:
2004 to present
Status:
Progress:
Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:
Annually
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
Florida and southeast Georgia
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate:
-83.218014
East_Bounding_Coordinate:
-79.883625
North_Bounding_Coordinate:
30.7253
South_Bounding_Coordinate:
24.661581
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:
FWRI Theme
Theme_Keyword:
manatees
Theme_Keyword:
marine mammals
Theme_Keyword:
threatened and endangered (turtles, whales, manatees, sturgeon)
Theme_Keyword:
research
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:
ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword:
biota
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:
Operational Tiers
Theme_Keyword:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Theme_Keyword:
Wildlife Research
Theme_Keyword:
Marine Mammal Research
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:
FWRI Place
Place_Keyword:
Florida
Place_Keyword:
Georgia
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:
FWC Region
Place_Keyword:
FWC Region-Southwest
Place_Keyword:
FWC Region-Southeast
Place_Keyword:
FWC Region-Northwest
Place_Keyword:
FWC Region-Northeast
Temporal:
Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus:
Season
Temporal_Keyword:
winter
Taxonomy:
Keywords/Taxon:
Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus:
FWRI common name
Taxonomic_Keywords:
manatee
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Kingdom
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Animalia
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Division
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Chordata
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Class
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Mammalia
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Super Order
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Paenungulata
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Order
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Sirenia
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Family
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Trichechidae
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Genus
Taxon_Rank_Value:
Trichechus
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Species
Taxon_Rank_Value:
manatus
Applicable_Common_Name:
Florida Manatee
Applicable_Common_Name:
sea cow
Taxonomic_Classification:
Taxon_Rank_Name:
Subspecies
Taxon_Rank_Value:
latirostris
Access_Constraints:
All data must be verified by Principle Investigator or Group Database Analyst prior to release. It is strongly recommended that this data is directly acquired from FWC and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. FWC makes no claims as to the data's suitability for other purposes.
Use_Constraints:
Acknowledgment of the FWC-FWRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute) as the data source would be appreciated in any products developed from these data, and such acknowledgment as is standard for citation and legal practices for data source is expected by users of this data. Please cite the original metadata when using portions of the record to create a similar record of slightly altered data, such as reprojection. If any data are modified or adjusted, please share the edited information with FWC. Users should be aware that comparison with other data sets for the same area from other time periods may be inaccurate due to inconsistencies resulting from changes in mapping conventions, data collection, and computer processes over time. FWC shall not be liable for improper or incorrect use of this data. These data are not legal documents and are not to be used as such.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:
mailing and physical address
Address:
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Address:
100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City:
St. Petersburg
State_or_Province:
FL
Postal_Code:
33701-5095
Country:
USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:
727-896-8626
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
727-823-0166
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:
metadata@MyFWC.com
Browse_Graphic:
Browse_Graphic_File_Name:
https://mermaid.ncddc.noaa.gov/fwc/fwri/wr/mmr/Manatees/Manatee_12-002/idinfo/browse/counties_24k_poly_withH2O.jpg
Browse_Graphic_File_Description:
image of study area
Browse_Graphic_File_Type:
JPEG
Data_Set_Credit:
Various organizations and researchers contributed to the surveys in various years. Contributing organizations include, but are not limited to: Brevard County, Broward County, Center for Marine Conservation, Collier County, Dade County, Department of Environmental Protection, Dynamac Corporation/NASA, Eckerd College, Everglades National Park, Florida Park Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Friends of Islamorada, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Jacksonville University, Kennedy Space Center, Miami-Dade County, Mote Marine Laboratory, National Park Service, Ocean Conservancy, Palm Beach County, Save the Manatee Club, Sea to Shore Alliance, St. John's River Keeper, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Service, Wakulla Springs State Park and Wildlife Trust. Data were entered and verified by FWC staff. Related grant: USFWS 2305. Use of these data must be credited in any reports or other written publications by the following sentence: "Manatee specific data used in analyses were collected under scientific research permit #MA773494 issued to FWC-FWRI."
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
ESRI shapefile
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Publication_Date:
201403
Title:
Manatee Synoptic Survey Sightings
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:
vector digital data
Online_Linkage:
http://ocean.floridamarine.org/mrgis/
Back To Index
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Each survey team was supplied with a theoretical flight route as a guideline. Starting in 2004 and in 2005, the observers recorded their flight path by hand on a set of maps, which were digitized by FWC staff. Starting in 2006, the observers were responsible for recording the aircraft’s actual flight route using a GPS. The flight routes were downloaded as points and converted to a polyline. Beginning in 2009, flight paths were edited to exclude "off effort" segments were edited out (e.g., transit to and from the airport).
Logical_Consistency_Report:
QA/QC complete
Completeness_Report:
No flight paths are available for surveys prior to the 2004 survey. Starting in 2004 and in 2005, flight routes were digitized off of flight paths drawn onto a paper map set by the observers. From the synoptic year 2006 forward, flight routes are correct to the accuracy of the handheld GPS unit being used to record the location of the plane (potentially reaching <15m precision). Beginning in 2009, flight paths were edited to exclude "off effort" segments were edited out (e.g., transit to and from the airport). --2004: Complete. --2005: The flight routes for Duval County (ICW and St Johns River) and Kennedy Space Center were not recorded and are omitted from this shapefile. --2006: Complete. --2007: The flight routes for Broward, Charlotte, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties were not recorded and are omitted from this shapefile. The included flight routes include unsurveyed segments from take-off to the beginning of the survey and from the end of the survey to landing. --2008: No survey was flown. --2009: The flight routes for Brevard, Miami-Dade and Kennedy Space Center were not recorded and are omitted from this shapefile. The included flight routes have been edited to exclude unsurveyed segments from take-off to the beginning of the survey and from the end of the survey to landing. --2010: The flight routes for Duval (ICW), Brevard and Broward Counties were not recorded and are omitted from this shapefile. The included flight routes have been edited to exclude unsurveyed segments from take-off to the beginning of the survey and from the end of the survey to landing. --2011: The flight routes for Lee County, the northern portion of Miami-Dade County, Kennedy Space Center, Blue Springs and Warm Mineral Springs were not recorded and are omitted from this shapefile. The included flight routes have been edited to exclude unsurveyed segments from take-off to the beginning of the survey and from the end of the survey to landing. --2012: No survey flown. --2013: No survey flown. --2014: The flight routes for Manatee and Sarasota Counties were not recorded and are omitted from this shapefile. There are no tracks for the areas surveyed from land (Blue Springs, Warm Mineral Springs, Wakulla Springs, Silver Glen Springs, DeLeon Springs and Welaka Springs). The included flight routes have been edited to exclude unsurveyed segments from take-off to the beginning of the survey, during break (if applicable) and from the end of the survey to landing.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Starting in 2004 and in 2005, flight routes were digitized off of flight paths drawn onto a paper map set by the observers. From the synoptic year 2006 forward, flight routes are correct to the accuracy of the handheld GPS unit being used to record the location of the plane (potentially reaching <15m precision). Beginning in 2009, flight paths were edited to exclude "off effort" segments were edited out (e.g., transit to and from the airport).
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type:
Field
Methodology_Identifier:
Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus:
aerial survey
Methodology_Keyword:
GIS
Methodology_Keyword:
aerial survey
Methodology_Keyword:
population
Methodology_Description:
No flight paths are available for synoptic surveys flown prior to 2004. Starting in 2004 and in 2005, flight routes were digitized off of flight paths drawn onto a paper map set by observers. From the synoptic year 2006 forward, flight routes were captured by handheld GPS units. Beginning in 2009, flight paths were edited to exclude "off effort" segments were edited out (e.g., transit to and from the airport).
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
No flight paths are available for synoptic surveys flown prior to 2004. Starting in 2004 and in 2005, each survey team was supplied a map of their county/region. The maps provided contain the estimated flight paths that were hand drawn while in route. An observer in the aircraft was responsible for charting the aircraft's course and recording manatee sightings. Using ArcMap, heads up digitizing was used to transfer the hand drawn flight paths to a digital polyline. For QA/QC, printed versions of the digitized flight paths where distributed back to the individuals responsible for drawing the original path. Corrections were made on these maps and returned for digital updating/editing. A second edited edition of the maps was redistributed for final approval. Some additional edits where made at this time and then given the final approval by each surveying team. From the synoptic year 2006 forward, each survey team was provided a paper map set with a flight path that is to serve as a guide for the survey and a GPS unit to record the actual movements of the airplane. The GPS trackline was downloaded as points, converted to polylines, the GPS tracks were merged together to create a state-wide path line, segmented by the survey area. Starting with the 2009 synoptic survey, "off effort" segments were edited out (ie., transit to and from the airport) before the GPS tracks were merged.
Process_Date:
201403
Back To Index
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method:
Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type:
String
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count:
15
Back To Index
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name:
Albers Conical Equal Area
Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
Standard_Parallel:
24.0
Standard_Parallel:
31.5
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian:
-84
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin:
24
False_Easting:
400000
False_Northing:
0
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method:
coordinate pair
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution:
0.001024
Ordinate_Resolution:
0.001024
Planar_Distance_Units:
meters
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name:
North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name:
Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis:
6378137
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio:
298.257
Back To Index
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label:
Manatee Synoptic Survey Flight Path
Entity_Type_Definition:
GIS shapefile containing the digitized flight path for each year of the synoptic survey since 2004. The flight paths are stored in separate shapefiles for each survey. The current shapefile contains the flight paths for the most recent synoptic survey. The shapefile of the flight paths for the previous surveys can be requested separately.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source:
MMR data sheet or GPS
Attribute:
Attribute_Label:
FID
Attribute_Definition:
Internal feature number.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label:
Shape
Attribute_Definition:
Feature geometry.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label:
FLT_NUM
Attribute_Definition:
Unique value identifying each flight path.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
100
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Georgia
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
200
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Jacksonville Power Plants
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
300
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Duval County/Saint Johns River
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
400
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Duval County/Intracoastal Waterway
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
500
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Blue Spring State Park
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
600
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Brevard County/Kennedy Space Center
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
700
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Brevard County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
800
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
St. Lucie and Martin Counties
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
900
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Palm Beach County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1000
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Broward County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1100
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Miami-Dade County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1200
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Monroe County/Florida Keys
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1300
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Levy, Citrus and Hernando Counties
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1400
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Tampa Bay
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1500
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Warm Mineral Springs
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1600
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Sarasota County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1700
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Charlotte County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1800
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Lee County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
1900
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Collier and NW Monroe County
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
2000
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Monroe County/Everglades National Park
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
2100
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Wakulla Springs
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
2200
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Silver Glen Springs
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
2300
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Salt Springs
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
2400
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
DeLeon Spring
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
2500
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Welaka Spring
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Attribute:
Attribute_Label:
FLT_TYPE
Attribute_Definition:
Description of the type of flight the GPS paths were collected from. In most cases, this should be "Synoptic".
Attribute_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Description of the survey type.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label:
SEGMENT
Attribute_Definition:
Segment of the aerial survey.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
A
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
The first aerial survey segment in a particular region.
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Enumerated_Domain_Value:
B
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
The second aerial survey segment in a particular region.
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Attribute:
Attribute_Label:
FLT_NAME
Attribute_Definition:
Name of the region the flight path corresponds to.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
Producer-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
See FLT_NUM domains for list of flight numbers and the regions they correspond to.
Back To Index
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:
mailing and physical address
Address:
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Address:
100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City:
St. Petersburg
State_or_Province:
FL
Postal_Code:
33701-5095
Country:
USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:
727-896-8626
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
727-823-0166
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:
metadata@MyFWC.com
Resource_Description:
This metadata documents the digitized tracks or GPS tracks recorded during synoptic survey flights. The metadata for the ArcGIS database of all manatees sighted during synoptic surveys from 1991 to present is covered in the Manatee Synoptic Survey metadata.
Distribution_Liability:
This data set is in the public domain, and the recipient may not assert any proprietary rights thereto nor represent it to anyone as other than a FWC-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute produced data set; it is provided "as-is" without warranty of any kind, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The user assumes all responsibility for the accuracy and suitability of this data set for a specific application. In no event will the staff of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute be liable for any damages, including lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this data set.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name:
Shapefile
Format_Version_Date:
201403
Format_Specification:
Digital or electronic dataset. Transmittal by ftp, e-mail or CD.
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name:
http://ocean.floridamarine.org/mrgis/
Fees:
none
Ordering_Instructions:
Contact Group Metadata Technician
Turnaround:
Approximately ten working days, depending on amount of information requested.
Back To Index
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date:
20080116
Metadata_Review_Date:
20140228
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:
mailing and physical address
Address:
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Address:
100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City:
St. Petersburg
State_or_Province:
FL
Postal_Code:
33701-5095
Country:
USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:
727-896-8626
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
727-823-0166
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:
metadata@MyFWC.com
Metadata_Standard_Name:
FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version:
FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention:
local time
Metadata_Use_Constraints:
All data must be credited to FWC-FWRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage:
http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html
Profile_Name:
ESRI Metadata Profile
Back To Index