Manatee counters waiting for a cold front
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FWC
When cold fronts come through, manatees seek warm water havens. If Florida gets a cold front this month, the state will conduct an aerial survey of manatees. It was too warm in Janauary 2012 for the survey, researchers say.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FWC
When cold fronts come through, manatees seek warm water havens. If Florida gets a cold front this month, the state will conduct an aerial survey of manatees. It was too warm in Janauary 2012 for the survey, researchers say.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission researchers are waiting for a front cold enough to allow for the annual statewide aerial survey of manatees.
Traditionally, every January the FWC and volunteers keep an eye on the weather and wait for cold enough conditions that prompts manatees to cluster tightly in warm-water havens. When the water temperatures drop into the 60s, the marine mammals seek out warmer waters in springs, canals and near power plants.