GIS shapefile of recovered or verified manatee carcass locations within Florida from April 1974 through to the latest available spatially verified data. 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) or in reference to the latest available NAIP aerial imagery when the data were processed. The scale is considered to be 1:40,000.

This GIS data set represents the state of Florida manatee protection areas as described in the Florida Administrative Code (FAC) Chapter 68C-22. This data set represents only the manatee protection areas for six counties (Brevard, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Sarasota, and Volusia) as published effective 6/24/2002. FWC-ISM staff originally digitized these areas using the 1:40,000 scale shoreline as the base shoreline, but also heads-up digitized corrections to the shoreline in ArcMap using the 1999 DOQQ's as a backdrop where 1:40,000 shoreline was not accurate enough. This process was completed in December 2004. These state of Florida manatee protection zones may differ from manatee protections zones created by City or County authorities and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Please contact GIS.Librarian@floridadep.gov for more information.

Original provider: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Dataset credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Abstract: This dataset contains data from the geographic information system (GIS) shapefile of recovered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) 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 geographic positioning system [GPS] or by using navigation charts to ascertain latitudes and longitudes) and maps provided by the field staff. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (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.

These data provide an accurate high-resolution shoreline compiled from imagery of Port Manatee, FL . This vector shoreline data is based on an office interpretation of imagery that may be suitable as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. This metadata describes information for both the line and point shapefiles. The NGS attribution scheme 'Coastal Cartographic Object Attribute Source Table (C-COAST)' was developed to conform the attribution of various sources of shoreline data into one attribution catalog. C-COAST is not a recognized standard, but was influenced by the International Hydrographic Organization's S-57 Object-Attribute standard so the data would be more accurately translated into S-57. This resource is a member of https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39808

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.

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.

Agency Name: Manatee County Area Transit NTD Name: Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, dba: Manatee County Area Transit NTD ID: 40026 Feed ID: 40026 GTFS: Y GTFS URL: http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/manatee-fl-us/manatee-fl-us.zip Agency URL: http://www.mymanatee.org/ Region: Sarasota-Bradenton, FL City: Bradenton State: FL

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.

These data provide an accurate high-resolution shoreline compiled from imagery of LITTLE MANATEE RIVER, FL . This vector shoreline data is based on an office interpretation of imagery that may be suitable as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. This metadata describes information for both the line and point shapefiles. The NGS attribution scheme 'Coastal Cartographic Object Attribute Source Table (C-COAST)' was developed to conform the attribution of various sources of shoreline data into one attribution catalog. C-COAST is not a recognized standard, but was influenced by the International Hydrographic Organization's S-57 Object-Attribute standard so the data would be more accurately translated into S-57. This resource is a member of https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39808

The new West Indian manatee range data was finalized in November 2020. The original data have downloaded falls under the IUCN Red List Terms and Conditions of Use which can be viewed on the IUCN Red List website at www.iucnredlist.org/terms/terms-of-use. For the Florida manatee, the previous range map was revised significantly to extend north to Delaware and west to Texas to reflect new data and documented warm season distribution. West Indian manatees can be found along the coastal and inland waters of the southern United States, throughout the Caribbean islands and along the eastern coasts of Mexico and Central America and the northern coast of South America.

Critical habitat constitutes areas considered essential for the conservation of a listed species. These areas provide notice to the public and land managers of the importance of the areas to the conservation of this species. Special protections and/or restrictions are possible in areas where Federal funding, permits, licenses, authorizations, or actions occur or are required.

West Indian manatees can be found along the coastal and inland waters of the southern United States, throughout the Caribbean islands and along the eastern coasts of Mexico and Central America and the northern coast of South America.These data identify, in general, the areas of proposed critical habitat for West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), for the subspecies Florida Manatee in Florida

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.

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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. 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.

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.

Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC-FWRI) 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. This survey was conducted by one aircraft mostly following historical flight paths used for past county-wide distribution surveys. However, some changes were made to shorten the flight route or to cover areas not flown in previous paths. See trackline metadata for details of flight path modifications. Flight paths generally curved parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circled when manatees were spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group was obtained. Circling was limited to 3 passes unless a group was unusually large and aerial photos were used in some cases to confirm counts. Sightings data were recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis using NAIP 2021 - 2023 imagery and recorded flight paths as a reference. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Counts presented in this dataset have not been corrected for detection bias (either perception or availability) and the absence of sightings in an area does not mean that no animals were present. This dataset includes recorded manatee sightings from 21 surveys flown on the following dates: 2 and 23 August 2023; 1 and 25 September 2023; 18 and 26 October 2023; 21 and 30 November 2023; 19 December 2023; 10 and 23 January 2024; 22 and 27 February 2024; 1 and 18 April 2024; 2 and 24 May 2024; 17 and 26 June 2024; 11 and 26 July 2024. FWC staff members were primary 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 coastal areas of Volusia County, Florida from the Flagler-Volusia County line to the Volusia-Brevard County line at the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon. Some areas along the planned flight path may have been partially surveyed or not surveyed at all due to air traffic, weather, or other constraints present during individual surveys.

Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Service Protocol: Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Application Profile: Web Browser. Link Function: information

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.

These data were automated to provide an accurate high-resolution historical shoreline of Manatee River, FL suitable as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. These data are derived from shoreline maps that were produced by the NOAA National Ocean Service including its predecessor agencies which were based on an office interpretation of imagery and/or field survey. The NGS attribution scheme 'Coastal Cartographic Object Attribute Source Table (C-COAST)' was developed to conform the attribution of various sources of shoreline data into one attribution catalog. C-COAST is not a recognized standard, but was influenced by the International Hydrographic Organization's S-57 Object-Attribute standard so the data would be more accurately translated into S-57. This resource is a member of https://inport.nmfs.noaa.gov/inport/item/39808

The Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) Database depicts flood risk information and supporting data used to develop the risk data. The primary risk classifications used are the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood event, and areas of minimal flood risk. The DFIRM Database is derived from Flood Insurance Studies (FISs), previously published Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), flood hazard analyses performed in support of the FISs and FIRMs, and new mapping data, where available. The FISs and FIRMs are published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The file is georeferenced to earth's surface using the UTM projection and coordinate system.The specifications for the horizontal control of DFIRM data files are consistent with those required for mapping at a scale of 1:12,000.