Duval, Clay, & St. Johns counties 1993-1994 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations
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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.
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