https://doi.org/10.82144/2b3f1ae9 https://www.gbif.org/dataset/921ce33a-b150-41e4-8cb1-2086313aee25 https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/765 https://obis.org/dataset/524c7635-fce1-4464-bd1c-8c78371fd576 Andrea Krzystan Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Primary contact andrea.krzystan@myfwc.com OBIS-SEAMAP Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University

A328 LSRC building Durham NC 27708 US

seamap-contact@duke.edu https://seamap.env.duke.edu OBIS-SEAMAP Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University

A328 LSRC building Durham NC 27708 US

seamap-contact@duke.edu https://seamap.env.duke.edu distributor Andrea Krzystan Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Primary contact andrea.krzystan@myfwc.com owner 2025-09-11 eng 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: 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 2011, the counts have been conducted 27 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. Occurrence GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type.xml Observation GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml Marine Biology Visual sighting Aircraft Sightings N/A Prior to July 1, 2004, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) was known as the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI).<br> The times are not recorded with this dataset, so 00:00:00 was filled and noted in the [Notes] field.<br> 7/22/2011: This dataset, originally containing data from 1991-2008, was updated to include 2009-2011 data. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC) 4.0 License. https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/765 Oceans,Pacific Ocean -84.5170513 -80.0298575 31.1645241 24.6977256 1991-01-23 2019-02-02 Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). subspecies Trichechus manatus latirostris Florida manatee To obtain a general (minimum) count of manatees statewide. notPlanned Andrea Krzystan Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Primary contact andrea.krzystan@myfwc.com NA NA NA Andrea Krzystan owner NA zd_765 2025-09-11T15:36:13-04:00 dataset Krzystan, A. 2019. Florida Manatee Synoptic Aerial Survey 1991-2019. Version 1.9.0. Dataset published in OBIS-SEAMAP. https://doi.org/10.82144/2b3f1ae9. Krzystan, A. 2019. Florida Manatee Synoptic Aerial Survey 1991-2018. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/765) on yyyy-mm-dd OBIS-SEAMAP Dataset Page UTF-8 Interactive map https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/765 FGDC Metadata UTF-8 XML https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/765/fgdc EML Metadata UTF-8 XML https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/765/eml OBIS-SEAMAP zd_765 zd_765