Tomoka River 1985-1987 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 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.
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