tagged w/ Save the Manatee Club
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The last of the big summer holidays is almost here. An upswing in boating traffic is expected throughout the long Labor Day weekend, and Save the Manatee Club is urging the boating community to be extra vigilant, especially in light of the crises manatees have already had to deal with this year.
“The events of 2010 have been tragic for the entire manatee population, which has been dealt one terrible blow after another,” said Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club’s Executive Director.
“Last year’s all-time record for total mortality has already been shattered this year. Since January 1st, over 600 manatees have died. That’s more than 10% of the entire known population! Nearly half died as a result of Florida’s unprecedented cold winter.
Although the Deepwater Horizon Well is sealed, the unprecedented oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico remains a major threat to manatees, and the large variety of marine and freshwater vegetation upon which they depend. Oil can directly pollute the seagrasses and other vegetation that manatees and other wildlife depend on for their very survival and can also block sunlight required for vegetation to grow. We also have substantial concerns regarding massive amounts of chemical dispersants that have been pumped and sprayed to break up the oil and need to watch for ill effects on endangered manatees and other wildlife.
A recent report by Georgia Sea Grant indicates that as much as 79% of the oil that was spilled remains in the Gulf, and we are still just one storm away from even more serious consequences.”
Further, last year a record number of manatees were killed by boat strikes. Recent manatee mortality statistics from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission reveal that deaths from boat strikes in 2010 are keeping pace with prior years.
“We feel it’s vital to work with the boating community to help minimize watercraft-related manatee injuries and deaths,” said Dr. Katie Tripp, Director of Science and Conservation for Save the Manatee Club.
“We believe in empowering the boating community so that each boater is aware of his or her ability to protect manatees by always looking out for them while safely enjoying Florida’s beautiful waterways.”
The Club produces and distributes a variety of free public awareness materials designed to keep the waterways safer for Florida’s endangered manatees. Florida boaters can request bright yellow waterproof boating banners to alert other boaters when manatees are in the area.
There are also newly designed shoreline property signs which encourage boaters to keep it slow, and it also features the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) hotline number (1-888-404-3922) for reporting injured manatees. Plus, the new matching boating decal can be placed on all Florida watercraft, from kayaks to jet skis.
Requests for the banners, signs, and decals can be sent via e-mail to education@savethemanatee.org, by calling toll free at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646), or by contacting:
Save the Manatee Club
500 N. Maitland Ave.,
Maitland, FL, 32751.
Dr. Tripp asks Florida boaters to help with manatee protection this Labor Day weekend by watching out for the meandering marine mammals on their travels. “Slow down if manatees are sighted, follow posted boat speed regulations at all times, and stay in deep water channels whenever possible.”
Those who see an injured, dead, tagged or orphaned manatee, or a manatee who is being harassed, are asked to call the FWC hotline number at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on cellular phones, or use VHF Channel 16 on marine radios. She is also recommending that recreational boaters carry up-to-date navigation charts aboard their vessels to avoid shallow areas where manatees feed and rest.
http://www.savethemanatee.org/news_pr_labor_day_10.html
For further information or to arrange an interview with one of the Club’s biologists, contact:
Janice Nearing
Director of Public Relations
Phone: (407) 539-0990
E-mail: jnearing@savethemanatee.org
Note: The Club's yellow boating banner is free to boaters & available upon request.
"PLEASE SLOW - MANATEES BELOW" (banner)The last of the big summer holidays is almost here. An upswing in boating traffic is... more
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Crystal River, Florida (CNN) -- With the utmost care and a healthy dose of respect, Monica Ross brought the pontoon boat to a crawl, shut its engine down, and asked for quiet. She was careful not to disturb the small antenna, which floated on the surface of the Crystal River marking the location of Coral, an 800 pound manatee.
She is in a nice, quiet cove. Perfect spot to be resting," said Ross, a marine biologist with Sea to Shore Alliance.
"Nice and protected ... for now," she said.
For now. These are uncertain days on the Crystal River, where boat tours take folks out to see the sea creatures, and where people can swim with them. Knowing where these endangered manatees are will help marine biologists, if Deepwater Horizon oil makes its way into these waters where about 1,000 manatees reside.
"We do know that the oil is toxic and depending on how weathered it is, it can have a lot of harmful effects if manatees come in contact with it," said Patrick Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club.
"Everything from coating their skin to getting in their eyes, to being ingested ... We don't know specifically because it's not been documented ... never happened as far as I know," he said.
In winter, the gentle creatures -- sometimes called "sea cows" because of their underwater bucolic nature but actually more closely related to elephants -- congregate in the warm waters of the rivers, estuaries and springs along the Florida Gulf Coast. But in summer, manatees frequently leave the close confines of their winter spas and spread out along the Gulf Coast to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana and around the Florida Keys up the Atlantic coast.
With the population more widespread, would-be rescuers face a difficult task.
Long the victims of accidental boat strikes and careless boaters, the West Indian manatee population in the Gulf of Mexico stands at about 5,000, experts believe. This past winter's extended cold wiped out almost 10 percent of their number. And while everyone is hoping for the best, federal and state officials as well as environmental groups are planning for the worst. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the lead agency protecting manatees and other wildlife from the oil.
"We don't know how detrimental it will be if they inhale it, if they ingest it, if they're foraging in areas where sea grass has been oiled," said Nicole Adimey, the manatee oil spill response coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"We have no idea how that's going to impact them," she said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service says that as its staff monitors the flow of the black crude across the Gulf, they will use aerial flights to monitor manatees and other wildlife. They hope to have about 72 hours to respond to save manatees unknowingly swimming in the path of the oil -- including physically moving these mammals, which can reach 10 feet long and weigh 1,200 pounds. Rescue teams are staging gear and will be ready to move in if necessary to try and capture manatees in distress.
But rescuing large numbers of manatees has never been done before. Is it realistic to capture large numbers of the sometimes uncooperative mammal?
"I don't know the answer to that question but we're going to move as many as we possibly can," said Adimeyr.
"If we had to move dozens, and it was a situation where we needed to move dozens, then I think we've been assured that we can get the resources, the extra hands that we need to do that," she said
Adimey said that if manatees come into contact with oil, they will be cleaned with dish soap to break it up and to clean the surface of their bodies.
They will be transported to one of two de-oiling stations -- the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Institute for Marine Mammals Studies, in Gulfport, Mississippi. Additional facilities in Florida include the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa and the Miami Seaquarium.
Once medically cleared, the animal will be transported to a long-term holding facility at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park just south of the Crystal River Preserve, where many manatees have found a haven.
According to the federal plan, no manatees will be released back into the wild until the threat of oil contamination is over. And even then, experts hope the seagrass beds and vegetation that manatees eat aren't destroyed by the oil.
Experts say they have a large network of people working together in partnerships, but accounting for every situation, and every scenario is doubtful.
"Capturing, rescuing hundreds of manatees, it's never been done," said Patrick Rose of Save the Manatee.
"We would lose manatees, I believe, if those kinds of numbers of manatees are involved."
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/06/18/pkg.mattingly.save.the.cnn
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/17/florida.manatees.oil/?hpt=T2Crystal River, Florida (CNN) -- With the utmost care and a healthy dose of respect,... more
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How Will Climate Change Affect Manatees?
Imagine a Florida where the coral reefs have dissolved, droughts are the norm, humans are abandoning multi million dollar coastal homes and retreating inland, daily high tides flood the streets of coastal cities and neighborhoods, and exotic species outnumber natives.
Climate change could make this scenario a reality for the sunshine state, with some impacts being observed within as few as 10 years.
Some individuals have tried to simplify the effects of climate change on manatees by assuming that warmer waters will benefit the species.
However, as the previous paragraphs discussed, climate change is comprised of many more facets than just increasing water temperatures. We also cannot forget that manatees are part of an inter-connected aquatic ecosystem, and are affected by the health of the plants and animals that share this and the surrounding terrestrial ecosystems.
As a species, manatees already face a myriad of threats, including watercraft strikes and red tide, which may compromise the long-term health of individuals and impede recovery of the species. As humans adapt to climate change, other species, including manatees, are likely to be adversely affected.
While some have postulated that increased sea surface temperatures associated with climate change may benefit manatees, this view fails to recognize how the species may be affected by the myriad of other consequences associated with climate change, including sea level rise, changes in seagrass abundance and location, and losses of funding as agencies shift resources away from individual species in an attempt to confront climate change.How Will Climate Change Affect Manatees?
Imagine a Florida where the coral reefs... more
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The Save the Manatee Club said it could be an indirect result of boat strikes, habitat loss and other threats that have shortened the endangered mammals' life spans, reducing the number of experienced mothers bearing calves.
Katie Tripp, director of science and conservation for The Save the Manatee Club, said the state should consider whether the increase represents an emerging threat. In the difficult environment of America's fourth-largest state, she said manatees rarely reach their full 60-year life span. This means there are fewer experienced mothers.
"We know manatees are dying young," she said. "We know first-time mothers tend to be less successful."
No one knows how many manatees live in Florida, but aerial surveys generally count about 3,000.
Enormous resources have been devoted to protecting them, as scientists research red tide, police patrol for speeding boats and government agencies protect coastal habitats. Tripp said the 30-year protection effort preserves many of the environmental assets that originally drew people to Florida.
"When you protect manatees, you protect seagrass flats," she said. "When you protect manatees, you protect water quality. When you protect manatees, you protect springs. When you protect manatees, you protect all of coastal Florida."
The number of manatees killed by watercraft is a closely watched figure, invoked in debates over boating, environmental regulation and the impact of waterfront development. Last year watercraft killed 90, up from 73 the previous year but short of the record of 95 in 2002. In Broward County, they killed three, which is about average. But Palm Beach County saw six, a tie for the record.
Paul Davis, Palm Beach County's manatee coordinator, said he was surprised by the increase since the recession cut boat traffic, police increased water patrols and no manatees were killed by boats in the previous two years. He urged boaters to slow down, particularly in three manatee hot spots: the Loxahatchee-Jupiter Inlet, the Lake Worth Lagoon and Lake Wyman, in Boca Raton.
"We need to be concerned," he said. "We need to continue to monitor our enforcement and education efforts and hope it doesn't repeat the following year. If it does, then we're going to reevaluate what we're doing and see if we can do it better."The Save the Manatee Club said it could be an indirect result of boat strikes, habitat... more
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PHOTO: A female manatee and her calf make their way through the canals near St. George Court and Jolly Roger Drive in Satellite Beach. Environmental groups want more habitat in Brevard County and elsewhere in Florida declared "critical" for manatee survival.
Four conservation groups, including Save the Manatee Club, formally petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to declare more places where manatees hang out to be "critical habitat" designations.
In Brevard, the places include manmade canals such as Berkeley Canal in Satellite Beach and the C-54 Canal in south Palm Bay, as well as natural tributaries to the Indian River Lagoon such as the St. Sebastian River, Mullet Creek, Turkey Creek and Crane Creek.
The designations would add another layer of scrutiny in permitting marine structures in those areas. While it doesn't by itself keep docks, marinas and other marine structures from being built, the designation could tip the balance, said Katie Tripp, director of science and conservation for Save the Manatee Club.
Under the Endangered Species Act, federal agencies can't authorize an action that causes the "destruction or adverse modification" of habitat designated as "critical" to the survival and recovery of an endangered species.
The groups that submitted the 64-page petition say new research since the original critical habitat designations were made in 1976 proves a need for more critical habitat designations, with more precise definitions.
"What this aims to do is clarify what that original list meant," Tripp said of the petition. "Instead of just listing a water body, it explains why."
Federal law requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, within 90 days of receiving such a petition, to determine whether it "presents substantial scientific information indicating that the revision may be warranted."
If the service makes that determination, then the agency would solicit comments through a lengthy public process, then publish the new critical habitat areas in the Federal Register, before they could take effect.
Steve Webster, executive director of Florida Marine Contractors Association, a trade group of dock builders, blasted Save the Manatee Club as an organization "that has outlived its purpose."
Please Visit: http://www.savethemanatee.orgPHOTO: A female manatee and her calf make their way through the canals near St. George... more
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BRISTOL TOWNSHIP - A dead manatee was found earlier this week near the banks of the Delaware River in Croydon.
The mammal, an endangered species concentrated in Florida, was spotted in cold waters Sunday in Neshaminy State Park near the park's marina ramp in Bristol Township.
Rescuers worked for more than an hour Monday morning removing the manatee from the river bank, according to Josh Swartley, the park's manager.
This is the first for Neshaminy State Park, he said. While manatee sightings up north are becoming more common, a Florida nonprofit organization confirmed that manatees swimming around Pennsylvania waters are rare.
Swartley said the manatee was not full-size. The average adult manatee grows to about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds, according to Save the Manatee Club, a national nonprofit organization established by former Florida governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffet.
Katie Tripp, the organization's director of science and conservation, said that despite a manatee's large size, the mammals often develop immune system problems when in water below 68 degrees.
“It almost becomes a hypothermia-type situation,” she said.
Although it's not clear if that's what happened here, the National Weather Service said the Delaware River's temperature has been about 46 or 47 degrees.
There's been an increase in manatee sightings in the Northeast lately, according to Save the Manatee Club. A manatee was rescued Oct. 11 from Sesuit Harbor in Dennis, Mass., but died the next day en route to a medical treatment facility at SeaWorld Orlando. Other sightings include manatees around Baltimore and in North Carolina.
“Something seems to be changing. Either that, or we're just seeing them more,” Tripp said.
“These recent sightings highlight the importance of public involvement in locating wayward manatees and coordinating with authorities in an effort to ensure timely rescues,” she said.
According to the organization, 264 manatees died through Oct. 12 from a variety of causes. Of those, 71 were attributed to watercraft accidents, which account for about 25 percent of all manatee deaths, experts say.
Although they are listed as endangered, manatee populations are growing, some researchers say. The highest population count was taken in 2002, when about 3,300 manatees were counted in Florida.
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP - A dead manatee was found earlier this week near the banks of the... more
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Who Else Wants To Help Save The 3,200 That Occupy The Florida Coast?
American Tourism, Leisure Water Activities, and the Fishing Industry are the Main Causes of the Decline of Manatees.
PLEASE see the bottom of this page on how you can help the gentle manatee.
Oct 21, 2008 – Indian Rocks Beach –
Many public awareness campaigns, research and educational programs, and lobbying groups help protect manatees. Approximately 3,200 occupy the southeastern portion of US coastal waters, yet as many as 100 die each year.
American Tourism plays a vital role in manatees becoming endangered species. With Florida as one of the largest vacation spots in the country, manatees are losing their natural habitats from red tide, the destruction of marine grass and chemical pollution from runoff.
Additionally, with Americans continually rushing even during leisurely activities such as jetting on large yachts, partying on fast speedboats, and jet skiers zipping through the waterways resulting in collisions, we can only expect manatees to become endangered.
Manatees have also become endangered because of large fishing boats and entanglement in fishing lines.
To help raise public awareness on the Florida manatees, Indian Rocks Beach artist, Karen Justice created a hilarious greeting card line. The designs contain vividly bright colors and were created in warm, tropical settings. Deep blues, vibrant yellows, and flirty pinks are the signature colors Karen uses. Light-hearted, warm, and clever sayings are splashed across each one of her designs. Because the designs are innovative and unique, she has become one of the most influential artists of her time.
Karen is an advocate of animal rights and is strongly committed to the preservation of manatees.
Now, relax with a cup of coffee and visit the www.wildjunglechick.com website. Soak in the beautiful colors of each card and laugh at the manatee designs. The relaxation and laughter felt after viewing her designs is her mission.
Coming soon to the website is the chicken's blog. It will include a Q&A on a variety of topics. Join the chicken's world by visiting www.wildjunglechick.com
# # # # # #
Greeting Cards, magnets, and prints sold via online to wholesalers, a retail store in Indian Rocks Beach, and an online retail site coming soon.
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ALERT!
Despite exploding human population growth and shrinking aquatic habitat in Florida, manatees will lose their protections as a federal endangered species under a new plan prepared by the Bush administration.
You can help! Send a quick online letter to decision-makers letting them know you strongly oppose the manatee’s downlisting at this time. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5215/t/3138/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=491
PLEASE BE A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS!
http://www.savethemanatee.org/
http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/Manatees/manatees.htmlWho Else Wants To Help Save The 3,200 That Occupy The Florida Coast?
American... more
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Four endangered manatees have washed up dead within a few miles of the downtown Savannah riverfront in the past week, leading wildlife officials to speculate they may have been killed by a single large ship.
Clay George, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said Tuesday three of the manatee carcasses pulled from the Savannah River suffered deep propeller wounds. One had been sliced in half.
Examination of the fourth manatee Tuesday, the day after it was found beneath the Talmadge Bridge that spans the river from Savannah into South Carolina, revealed no lacerations. But the carcass had several broken bones that could have been caused by a ship, George said.
The manatees were discovered upstream from the bustling Port of Savannah, which cargo ships reach by navigating about 20 miles of the Savannah River from the Atlantic Ocean. Judging by the size of the cuts, the manatees appear to have been hit by a vessel the size of a tugboat or larger, George said.
"Container ships or some other large vessel would be an obvious place to start," George said. "We're not trying to blame anyone. Most likely it was an accident. I'd be very surprised if anyone on the vessel even knew what happened."
Though most frequently found in Florida, manatees migrate north to Georgia's shoreline waters and rivers each year from April to October.
A 2007 report by the U.S. Geological Survey identified boat collisions as the top long-term threat to manatees, which weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can be 10 feet long. In Florida, watercraft strikes killed 73 manatees in 2007 and have caused 60 deaths through July 31 this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
It's unusual for multiple manatees to turn up dead in the same place at roughly the same time, said Charles Underwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Jacksonville, Fla. But it can happen, he said, when manatees are trying to mate and may be distracted from approaching vessels.
Underwood said the agency has no recorded case in which a single boat or ship was proven to have killed multiple manatees at once.
Visitors strolling the downtown riverfront, a tourist hotspot packed with bars and souvenir shops, spotted the first two manatee carcasses in the river Friday. A boater spotted another later that day near Elba Island a few miles downriver.
George said the manatees could have been part of a mating herd, in which up to a dozen males pursue a single female. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photographed five manatees together in the river last week, he said.
Georgia Ports Authority spokesman Robert Morris said traffic to and from the port wasn't any heavier than normal last week with ships arriving and departing ahead of the storm. He called the manatee deaths "a tragic event."
"We want to work closely with the DNR to learn more about what caused the deaths of these four manatees and determine ways to alert river traffic in the future when manatees are sighted," Morris said.
Pleasure boats and Coast Guard cutters also frequent the Savannah River, and there's no precise evidence to indicate any particular type of large vessel.
PLEASE NOTE! Propeller Guard Can Help Reduce Manatee Injuries!
Boat Propeller Guards DO NOT elliminate injuries/death. However, they can help reduce manatee & other sea life (as well as humans) when used in conjunction with other precautions. Boat Propeller Guards are only effective when speedzone laws are obeyed.
http://myfwc.com/manatee/prop/
http://myfwc.com/manatee/prop/propguide.htm
Manatee FAQ Links:
http://www.savethemanatee.org/faqprotection.htm
http://www.floridaconservation.org/psm/prop/prop.htm
http://www.myfwc.com/manatee/
http://www.endangeredspecieshandbook.org/aquatic_noise.phpFour endangered manatees have washed up dead within a few miles of the downtown... more
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Help Us Obtain Greater Enforcement
Of Boat Speed Zones
The Issue:
Cuts in state and federal funding have resulted in fewer on-water law enforcement officers in critical areas of Florida. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, created to safeguard manatees, is one such area. In July, a mother manatee was horribly injured in the bay by a speeding boat and subsequently died. Very recently, another manatee was also horribly injured by a speeding boat and died. Unfortunately, this scenario will continue to be repeated many times in areas heavily used by both boats and manatees unless law enforcement efforts are increased dramatically.
Although we don’t believe in gratuitously displaying manatee photos depicting disfiguring injuries, we have decided - after much soul-searching - to post some online photos of the poor manatee mother because a picture is worth a thousand words.
Warning: These photos are very graphic.
Click here to view photos: http://www.savethemanatee.org/cr_photos.htm
Our immediate goal is to get more officers on the water during times of peak use, even if it means Save the Manatee Club pays for them. We are also increasing boater awareness with a new poster featuring the message, “Navigate With Care, Manatees Are There.” And we will advocate to eliminate dangerous high speed areas.
What You Can Do:
Take action now by sending the following letter to Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and to Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist, asking them to immediately increase their on-water law enforcement presence throughout manatee habitat. And please send this alert to your friends and family and ask them to take action, too.
Take Action! Sign this petition PLEASE!
http://www.savethemanatee.org/actionalert.cfm?id=12
Help Us Obtain Greater Enforcement
Of Boat Speed Zones
The Issue:
Cuts in... more
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