Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/custom/manatee/Synoptic_Survey_Sightings_1991_2014.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a></p>
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) uses synoptic surveys to obtain a general (minimum) 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.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Manatee Carcass Recovery Locations in Florida
Display Field: FIELDID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: GIS shapefile of recovered manatee carcass locations within Florida from April 1974 through to the latest spatially verified data presently available. Locations are based both on coordinates provided by field staff (gathered either by GPS or by using navigation charts to ascertain latitudes and longitudes) and maps provided by the field staff. FWRI GIS staff in the Marine Mammal subsection verify that the provided coordinates match the intent of the plotted location. Points representing carcass locations were entered into a GIS using a digital shoreline basemap taken largely from NOAA navigation charts (1:40,000) and from USGS quadrangles (1:24,000). The scale is considered to be 1:40,000.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Name: Indian River County 2018-2019 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: SPECIES
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually four to six hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. This dataset includes manatee sightings from 24 surveys flown on the following dates: 5 Oct 2018, 29 Oct 2018, 7 Nov 2018, 26 Nov 2018, 11 Dec 2018, 18 Dec 2018, 10 Jan 2019, 16 Jan 2019, 22 Feb 2019, 28 Feb 2019, 7 Mar 2019, 26 Mar 2019, 11 Apr 2019, 24 Apr 2019, 15 May 2019, 23 May 2019, 12 Jun 2019, 26 Jun 2019, 16 Jul 2019, 23 Jul 2019, 6 Aug 2019, 21 Aug 2019, 25 Sep 2019, and 30 Sep 2019. FWC staff members were observers for these flights, and dual observers (two observers, one in the front seat and one in the rear seat) were present on some or all of survey flights. The survey area included Indian River County from the Sebastian Inlet to approximately the Indian River County/St. Lucie County border.
Copyright Text: Flights were flown and data were collected by FWC staff. Data were entered and verified by FWC staff. 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 #MA773494-11 issued to FWC-FWRI."
Name: Duval, Clay, & St. Johns counties 1993-1994 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Duval_Clay_StJohns_1993_1994_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for one year. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Duval, Clay and St. Johns County were flown twice a month from May 1993 to May 1994. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the western half of Duval County, with emphasis on the many tributaries of the St. Johns River. It extended south into St. Johns and Clay counties to Black Creek. The survey route included the Trout, Ribault, Arlington, Ceder, and Ortega rivers; Pottsburg, Black, Durbin, and Julington creeks; Doctor’s lake; and portions of the St. Johns River between tributaries, from the Trout River to Green Cove Springs.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: St. Johns & Putnam counties 1994-1995 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_StJohns_Putnam_1994_1995_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually four hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for one year. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of St. Johns and Putnam Counties were flown twice a month from June 1994 to June 1995. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes all waters of St. Johns River in Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Putnam counties from the southwestern portion of Duval County south to the Cross-Florida Barge Canal, which is south of Palatka and Little Lake George. Doctors Lake, Julington, Durbin, Black, Trout, Six-Mile, Deep, and Rice creeks; the Cross-Florida Barge Canal; and creeks and waterways around the Seven Sisters Islands and Murphy Islands were included in the survey.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Flagler & St. Johns counties 2005-2007 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Flagler_StJohns_2005_2007_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonable distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 knots. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 3 to 5 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are not usually surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. Surveys of Flagler and St. Johns Counties were flown twice a month from October 2005 to September 2007. FWC and St. Johns County Habitat Conservation Plan staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area included the Bulow Creek in Volusia County, Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway of Flagler and St. Johns Counties.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: St. Johns, Flagler, & Volusia counties 1991-1993 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_StJohns_Flagler_Volusia_1991_1993_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually six hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia County were flown twice a month from March 1991 to November 1993. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the coastal, estuarine, and riverine waters of St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia counties. The St. Johns River or tributaries were not included. The survey extended from the Duval-St. Johns county line south to Mosquito Lagoon at the Volusia-Brevard county line. The water bodies included in the survey are Tolomato, Guana, Matanzas, San Sebastian, Tomoka and Halifax rivers; Turnbull Bay and Salt Run; Spruce Creek and Palm Coast canal systems.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tomoka River 1985-1987 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_TomokaRiver_1985_1987_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for six months. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Volusia County (Tomoka River) were flown twice a month from December 1985 to January 1987. Staff from FWC, USFWS Sirenia Project, Brevard County and Hobe Sound NWR were observers for these flights. This survey was flown as a part of a larger study that included six east coast counties divided into five survey segments from north to south; Volusia and N. Brevard counties were within segment 1. The survey area includes the Tomoka Basin and Tomoka River.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tomoka River 1985 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_TomokaRiver_1985_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for six months. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Volusia County (Tomoka River) were flown twice a month from May to November 1985. Staff from FWC, USFWS Sirenia Project, Brevard County and Hobe Sound NWR were observers for these flights. This survey was flown as a part of a larger study that included six east coast counties divided into five survey segments from north to south; Volusia and N. Brevard counties were within segment 1. The survey area includes the Tomoka Basin and Tomoka River.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Volusia County 2002-2004 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Volusia_2002_2004_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distributional surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution and relative abundance of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 4–6 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Volusia County were flown twice a month from July 2002 to July 2004. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the northern Volusia County border south along Indian River and along Spruce Creek to the southern Volusia County border.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Brevard County 1997-1999 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Brevard_1997_1999_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distributional surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of a fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 4–6 hours long, and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. Due to the length of the Brevard County survey, the entire survey was flown over the course of two days, with the second flight always being flown within two days of the first flight; on occasion, the entire survey was completed in one day. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, seagrasses, are located. Flight paths curve along parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sights are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Brevard County were flown from September 1997 to September 1999. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway and small tributaries of Brevard County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Indian River County 2002-2004 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_IndianRiver_2002_2004_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distributional surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 knots. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually three to five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve along parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtles are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Indian River County surveys were flown twice a month from July 2002 to July 2004 by FWC staff memebers. Survey area included the Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway and small tributaries of Indian River County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Indian River, Brevard, & St. Lucie counties 1985-1987 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_IndianRiver_Brevard_StLucie_1985_1987_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a></p> Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually seven hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two and half years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Indian River, Brevard and St. Lucie Counties were flown twice a month from June 1985 to December 1987. Staff from FWC, USFWS Sirenia Project, Brevard County and Hobe Sound NWR were observers for these flights. This survey was flown as a part of a larger study that included six east coast counties divided into five survey segments from north to south; Indian River, southern Brevard and St. Lucie counties were within segment 4. This area includes S. Indian River Lagoon and each inlet to the Atlantic Ocean, but the Atlantic shoreline was not surveyed.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: St. Lucie & Martin counties 1990-1993 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: </p><a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_StLucie_Martin_1990_1993_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 7 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of St. Lucie/Martin County were flown twice a month from November 5, 1990 to June 22, 1993. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area extends from northern St. Lucie County south through Martin County to northern Palm Beach County. In St. Lucie, the area began just south of the Indian river County line, covered Ft. Pierce Inlet and Ft. Pierce Power Plant and extended southward through the Indian River Lagoon and Intracoastal Waterway. In Martin County, the area extended southward including St. Lucie Inlet and St. Lucie River (both the North and South forks) and Hope and Jupiter sounds, ending at the Jupiter Inlet in northern Palm Beach County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Martin & St. Lucie counties 2010-2012 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Martin_StLucie_2010_2012_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Martin and St. Lucie County were flown twice a month from August 2010 to July 2012. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes Ft. Pierce Inlet, Indian River, St. Lucie Inlet, St. Lucie River (North and South Fork), North Fork, Loxahatchee River, Jupiter Sound, and Hobe Sound.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Broward and Miami-Dade counties 1988-1990 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Broward_Dade_1988_1990_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually six hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Broward and northern Dade County were flown twice a month from January 1988 to March 1990. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the southern portion of Palm Beach County, the length of Broward County and the northern half of Dade County. The survey followed the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) from Lake Boca Raton in southern Palm Beach County, southward along the ICW in Broward County and ended at Kings Bay on the northwestern shore of Biscayne Bay in Dade County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: 10,000 Islands 1991-1993 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_10KIslands_1991_1993_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Collier County (Ten Thousand Islands) were flown twice a month from January 1991 to November 1993. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area is part of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Collier-Seminole State Park, Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands State Aquatic Preserve and Everglades National Park. There are only two towns within the Ten Thousand Islands: Everglades City and Chokoloskee. The area is a complex landscape of numerous mangrove islands, oyster bars and sand spits separated by tidal creeks and passes. Most of the area is estaurine, with strong tidal influence and freshwater input from numerous creeks and drainage canals.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Port of the Islands 1986-1990 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_PortofIslands_1986_1990_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually six hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Collier County (Port of the Islands) were flown twice a month from January 1986 to December 1990. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area is divided into three zones: the main basin, Faka Union Canal, and the Channel to the Gulf of Mexico. The main basin consists of ten dredged finger canals and a wider marina area. The Faka Union Canal is a dredged canal that connects the Port of the Islands basin to Faka Union Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands. The Channel to the Gulf of Mexico follows a marked navigation channel that leads approximately 8 km through numerous mangrove islands from the mouth of Faka Union Canal, south across Faka Union Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Marco Island 1989-1990 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_MarcoIsland_1989_1990_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually five hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Collier County (Marco Island) were flown twice a month from January 1989 to December 1990. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes most coastal waters surrounding Marco Island in west-central Collier County. Major bodies of water include Rookery Bay, Henderson Creek, Little Marco Pass, Johnson Bay, Collier Bay, Big Marco Pass, Tarpon Bay, McIlvane Bay, Addison Bay, Roberts Bay, Caxambas, Bay, and Caxambas Pass. Parts of Rookery Bay Wildlife Preserve and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve were included in the survey.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Collier County 2006-2008 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Collier_2006_2008_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 4–6 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Collier County were flown twice a month from May 2006 to June 2008. FWC, Collier County and Ocean Conservancy staff members were observers for these flights, and dual observers (two observers, one in the front seat and one in the rear seat) were present on some or all of survey flights. The survey area includes the northern Collier County border south along the coast to Morgan Point and continuing back north to the Collier border.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Lee County 1994-1995 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Lee_1994_1995_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 4-5 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Lee County were flown twice a month from October 12, 1994 to November 15, 1995. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes most of the rivers and coastal waters of Lee County. The major bodies of water include Caloosahatchee and Orange Rivers, San Carlos and Estero Bays, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound. Many undeveloped areas that are under state or federal management were part of the study area.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Lee County 1997-1998 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Lee_1997_1998_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 4-5 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for one year. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Lee County were flown twice a month from January 1997 to January 1998. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes most of the rivers and coastal waters of Lee County. The major bodies of water include Caloosahatchee and Orange Rivers, San Carlos and Estero Bays, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound. Many undeveloped areas that are under state or federal management were part of the study area.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Charlotte County 1987-1988 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Charlotte_1987_1988_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distributional surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are done from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 4–6 hours long, and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters where manatees and their primary food source, seagrasses, are located. Flight paths curve along parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Charlotte County were flown twice a month from January 1987 to December 1998. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey areas includes the coastal waters of Charlotte County and small adjacent sections Lee, Sarasota and deSoto Counties. Major water bodies included Charlotte Harbor, Myakka River, Peace River, Bull Bay, Turtle Bay and lower Gasparilla Sound. Many undeveloped areas under state or federal management are part of the study area.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Manatee County 1985-1986 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Manatee_1985_1986_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually 5 hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Manatee County were flown twice a month from May 1985 to December 1986. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes The survey area includes northern part of Manatee County along Tampa Bay, including Manatee River, Braden River, Terra Ceia Bay, Miguel Bay and Terra Ceia Preserve State Park.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tampa Bay 1987-1994 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_TampaBay_1987_1994_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually three hours (west Tampa Bay) and four and half hours (east Tampa Bay) long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for five and half years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Tampa Bay were flown twice a month from November 1987 to May 1994. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the largest estuary in Florida, which borders Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee counties on Florida’s west coast. Tampa Bay consists of mostly shallow water (average 3m) with Egmont Channel (27m) and the main dredged shipping channels (13m). Five rivers enter the Bay: Hillsborough, Alafia, Little Manatee, Manatee, and Braden rivers. The area includes large expanses of seagrass in Boca Ciega Bay and Anna Maria Sound. Many undeveloped areas under state or federal management were part of the study area, including Egmont Key, Passage Key, and Pinellas national wildlife refuge.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tampa Bay 1995-1997 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_TampaBay_1995_1997_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually three hours (west Tampa Bay) and four and half hours (east Tampa Bay) long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two and half years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Tampa Bay were flown twice a month from January 1995 to June 1997. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes the largest estuary in Florida, which borders Pinellas, Hillsbourough, and Manatee counties on Florida’s west coast. Tampa Bay consists of mostly shallow water (average 3m) with Egmont Channel (27m) and the main dredged shipping channels (13m). Five rivers enter the Bay: Hillsborough, Alafia, Little Manatee, Manatee, and Braden rivers. The area includes large expanses of seagrass in Boca Ciega Bay and Anna Maria Sound. Many undeveloped areas under state or federal management were part of the study area, including Egmont Key, Passage Key, and Pinellas national wildlife refuge.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Eastern Pinellas County 2009-2011 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_PinellasEast_2009_2011_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually four to six hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of East Pinellas County were flown twice a month from October 2009 to September 2011. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes eastern Pinellas County along the Tampa Bay and Old Tampa Bay coast from Pinellas Point north to Oldsmar.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Western Pinellas County 2008-2010 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_PinellasWest_2008_2010_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually four to six hours long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of West Pinellas County were flown twice a month from August 2008 to August 2010. FWC staff members were observers for these flights, and dual observers (two observers, one in the front seat and one in the rear seat) were present on some or all of survey flights. The survey area includes western Pinellas County along the Gulf of Mexico coast from Fort DeSoto north to the Pinellas/Pasco County border.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Wakulla County 1994-1996 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
Display Field: TOTAL
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistObs_Wakulla_1994_1996_pnt.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually about one hour long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Wakulla County were flown twice a month from October 1994 to September 1996. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes two major rivers in Wakulla County (Wakulla and St. Marks rivers), the nearby Gulf coast waters, and Spring Creek. The study area is confined to the lower 23 km of the St. Marks River beginning at the St. Marks Spring. The study area also includes open Gulf of Mexico waters from the St. Marks River west to Spring Creek.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Description: 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 2019, the counts have been conducted 33 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.
Copyright Text: 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, IHA Environmental Services/NASA (formerly known as 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 Survey, 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."
Name: Indian River County 2018-2019 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. Survey area included the Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway and small tributaries of Indian River County.
Copyright Text: The flight path was developed and digitized by FWC staff.
Name: Duval, Clay, & St. Johns counties 1993-1994 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Duval_Clay_StJohns_1993_1994_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the western half of Duval County, with emphasis on the many tributaries of the St. Johns River. It extended south into St. Johns and Clay counties to Black Creek. The survey route included the Trout, Ribault, Arlington, Ceder, and Ortega rivers; Pottsburg, Black, Durbin, and Julington creeks; Doctor’s lake and portions of the St. Johns River between tributaries from the Trout River to Green Cove Springs.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: St. Johns & Putnam counties 1994-1995 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: OBJECTID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_StJohns_Putnam_1994_1995_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes all waters of St. Johns River in Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Putnam counties from the southwestern portion of Duval County south to the Cross-Florida Barge Canal, which is south of Palatka and Little Lake George. Doctors Lake, Julington, Durbin, Black, Trout, Six-Mile, Deep, and Rice creeks; the Cross-Florida Barge Canal; and creeks and waterways around the Seven Sisters Islands and Murphy Islands were included in the survey.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Flagler & St. Johns counties 2005-2007 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Flagler_StJohns_2005_2007_arc.html" target="_blank">For full FGDC metadata record, please click here. </a><p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area included the Bulow Creek in Volusia County, Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway of Flagler and St. Johns Counties. </p>
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: St. Johns, Flagler, & Volusia counties 1991-1993 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: SPECIES
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_StJohns_Flagler_Volusia_1991_1993_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the coastal, estuarine, and riverine waters of St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia counties. The St. Johns River or tributaries were not included. The survey extended from the Duval-St. Johns county line south to Mosquito Lagoon at the Volusia-Brevard county line. The water bodies included in the survey are Tolomato, Guana, Matanzas, San Sebastian, Tomoka and Halifax rivers; Turnbull Bay; Salt Run; Spruce Creek and Palm Coast canal systems.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tomoka River 1985-1987 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_TomokaRiver_1985_1987_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. This survey was flown as part of a larger study that included six east coast counties divided into five survey segments from north to south; Volusia and N. Brevard counties were within segment 1. The survey area includes the Tomoka Basin and Tomoka River.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tomoka River 1985 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_TomokaRiver_1985_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. This survey was flown as part of a larger study that included six east coast counties divided into five survey segments from north to south; Volusia and N. Brevard counties were within segment 1. The survey area includes the Tomoka Basin and Tomoka River.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Volusia County 2002-2004 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Volusia_2002_2004_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the northern Volusia County border south along Indian River and along Spruce Creek to the southern Volusia County border.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Brevard County 1997-1999 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Brevard_1997_1999_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway and small tributaries of Brevard County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Indian River County 2002-2004 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_IndianRiver_2002_2004_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. Survey area included the Atlantic Coast, Intracoastal Waterway and small tributaries of Indian River County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Indian River, Brevard, & St. Lucie counties 1985-1987 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_IndianRiver_Brevard_StLucie_1985_1987_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. This survey was flown as part of a larger study that includede six east coast counties divided into five survey segments from north to south; Indian River, southern Brevard and St. Lucie counties were within segment 4. This area includes S. Indian River Lagoon and each inlet to the Atlantic Ocean, but the Atlantic shoreline was not surveyed.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: St. Lucie & Martin counties 1990-1993 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_StLucie_Martin_1990_1993_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area extends from northern St. Lucie County south through Martin County to northern Palm Beach County. In St. Lucie, the area began just south of the Indian river County line, covered Ft. Pierce Inlet and Ft. Pierce Power Plant and extended southward through the Indian River Lagoon and Intracoastal Waterway. In Martin County, the area extended southward including St. Lucie Inlet and St. Lucie River (both the North and South forks) and Hope and Jupiter sounds, ending at the Jupiter Inlet in northern Palm Beach County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Martin & St. Lucie counties 2010-2012 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Name
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Martin_StLucie_2010_2012_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes Ft. Pierce Inlet, Indian River, St. Lucie Inlet, St. Lucie River (North and South Fork), North Fork, Loxahatchee River, Jupiter Sound, and Hobe Sound.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Broward and Miami-Dade counties 1988-1990 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Broward_Dade_1988_1990_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the southern portion of Palm Beach County, the length of Broward County and the northern half of Dade County. The survey followed the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) from Lake Boca Raton in southern Palm Beach County, southward along the ICW in Broward County and ended at Kings Bay on the northwestern shore of Biscayne Bay in Dade County.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: 10,000 Islands 1991-1993 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_10KIslands_1991_1993_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area is part of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Collier-Seminole State Park, Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands State Aquatic Preserve and Everglades National Park. There are only two towns withing the Ten Thousand Islands: Everglades City and Chokoloskee. The area is a complex landscape of numerous mangrove islands, oyster bars and sand spits separated by tidal creeks and passes. Most of the area is estaurine, with strong tidal influence and freshwater input from numerous creeks and drainage canals.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Port of the Islands 1986-1990 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_PortofIslands_1986_1990_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area is part of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Collier-Seminole State Park, Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands State Aquatic Preserve and Everglades National Park. There are only two towns withing the Ten Thousand Islands: Everglades City and Chokoloskee. The area is a complex landscape of numerous mangrove islands, oyster bars and sand spits separated by tidal creeks and passes. Most of the area is estaurine, with strong tidal influence and freshwater input from numerous creeks and drainage canals.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Marco Island 1989-1990 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_MarcoIsland_1989_1990_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes most coastal waters surrounding Marco Island in west-central Collier County. Major bodies of water include Rookery Bay, Henderson Creek, Little Marco Pass, Johnson Bay, Collier Bay, Big Marco Pass, Tarpon Bay, McIlvane Bay, Addison Bay, Roberts Bay, Caxambas, Bay, and Caxambas Pass. Parts of Rookery Bay Wildlife Preserve and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve were included in the survey.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Collier County 2006-2008 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Collier_2006_2008_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area.This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the northern Collier County border south along the coast to Morgan Point and continuing back north to the Collier border.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Lee County 1994-1998 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Lee_1994_1998_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes most of the rivers and coastal waters of Lee County. The major bodies of water include Caloosahatchee and Orange Rivers, San Carlos and Estero Bays, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound. Many undeveloped areas that are under state or federal management were part of the study area.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Charlotte County 1987-1988 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Charlotte_1987_1988_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the coastal waters of Charlotte County and small adjacent sections of Lee, Sarasota and deSoto Counties. Major water bodies included Charlotte Harbor, Myakka River, Peace River, Bull Bay, Turtle Bay and lower Gasparilla Sound. Many undeveloped areas under state or federal management are part of the study area.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Manatee County 1985-1986 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Manatee_1985_1986_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes northern part of Manatee County along Tampa Bay, including Manatee River, Braden River, Terra Ceia Bay,Miguel Bay and Terra Ceia Preserve State Park.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Tampa Bay 1987-1997 Manatee Distribution Surveys Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_TampaBay_1987_1997_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes the largest estuary in Florida, which borders Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee counties on Florida’s west coast. Tampa Bay consists of mostly shallow water (average 3m) with Egmont Channel (27m) and the main dredged shipping channels (13m). Five rivers enter the Bay: Hillsborough, Alafia, Little Manatee, Manatee, and Braden rivers. The area includes large expanses of seagrass in Boca Ciega Bay and Anna Maria Sound. Many undeveloped areas under state or federal management were part of the study area, including Egmont Key, Passage Key, and Pinellas national wildlife refuge.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Eastern Pinellas County 2009-2011 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_PinellasEast_2009_2011_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area included eastern Pinellas County along the Tampa Bay and Old Tampa Bay coast from Pinellas Point north to Oldsmar.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Western Pinellas County 2008-2010 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: ID
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_PinellasWest_2008_2010_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes western Pinellas County along the Gulf of Mexico coast from Fort DeSoto north to the Pinellas/Pasco County border.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Name: Wakulla County 1994-1996 Manatee Distribution Survey Theoretical Flight Path
Display Field: Id
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolyline
Description: <a href="http://atoll.floridamarine.org/Data/Metadata/SDE_Current/Manatee_DistPath_Wakulla_1994_1996_arc.html" target=_blank>For a full FGDC compliant metadata record, please click here. </a> </p>
Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Surveys are flown along a standardized, theoretical flight route, which was designed to cover all likely manatee habitats in the study area. This "theoretical flight path" indicates the area that was covered during each survey, but it may not be the actual flight route flown on every survey. GPS tracklines recorded during surveys may be available for some flights. The survey area includes two major rivers in Wakulla County (Wakulla and St. Marks rivers), the nearby Gulf coast waters, and Spring Creek. The study area is confined to the lower 23 km of the St. Marks River beginning at the St. Marks Spring. The study area also includes open Gulf of Mexico waters from the St. Marks River west to Spring Creek.
Copyright Text: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute