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Manatee Migration Update: February 19, 2003

Today's Report Includes:

Manatees Are on the Move! Field Notes from Cathy Beck

Latest All Manatees Migration Map
(As of February 19, 2003)
Click on Map to Enlarge

Dear Students,
The manatees are on the move now! And two of them are REALLY on the move, having traveled long distances in relatively short times. Who are the real movers, and who's been swimming offshore? As you know from our last report, the manatees had been staying in or near the inland waterways, and so their distribution had been inland for quite a while. And Jim Reid, who monitors their movements very closely, reported they had been making little use of the offshore areas, and some manatees were continuing to hunker down in the canals.

Marathoning Manatees
But in the last week or so, there has been a noticeable change in the manatee locations. Two of the manatees made very big northward migrations, swimming long distances up the Gulf coast in relatively short times.

Several of the other manatees have increasingly been moving away from land too. Jim reported that they were now making increased use of several areas "offshore". Do you have any idea what they might be up to out there? Take a look at the latest data, and the latest tracking and weather maps and then see if you can answer Challenge Questions #8 and #9 below.

Link to Latest Data and Maps:
(Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project)

Challenge Question #8:
"Which two manatees made the long northward migrations? On the weather maps below, can you see any changes along the Florida Gulf coast that might have played a role in the manatees' recent movements? How?"

02/06/03

02/07/03

02/12/03

Click on Maps to enlarge
Credit: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

Challenge Question #9:
"Why do you think some manatees have now been visiting offshore areas? What are they finding there?" (Hint: What do you feel like doing on the first warm days of spring after being cooped up in your classroom all winter?)

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Manatee Interrupted
While many of the manatees have had us busy tracking their migrations, we've also been wondering about two other manatees because we were not receiving any reliable satellite tracking signals from them. For Gulliver, no reliable location data was received for several days beginning February 4. Now we're receiving location data for him again, so we don't have to wonder where he is or what may have happened. But in the meantime, the same situation is happening with Chuck. Since early in the week of February 10 we have not received reliable location data for Chuck.

Any Reason to Worry?
Are you wondering what things could possibly cause manatee tracking signals to stop or be interrupted? Take a minute to read more about the tags and other equipment used for tracking manatees. Then see if you can answer the Challenge Question below.

  • Satellite Tracking and Manatees

    Challenge Question #10:
    "What possible reasons can you think of to explain why reliable tracking signals for Gulliver were interrupted and then received again; and why reliable tracking signals for Chuck have stopped?"

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

I'll be back soon with more information for the next report!

Cathy Beck
Sirenia Project
Gainesville, FL

Raise Your Flipper When Your Name is Called
Ranger Wayne doing Roll Call

Each day during the winter, Ranger Wayne conducts a manatee "Roll Call" in the Blue Spring Run. From the canoe, he identifies the manatees, records their behaviors and any physical changes, and he counts the total manatees present. He also records temperature readings for the River water, Run water and the Air, as well as noting how far the dark water from the St. John's River comes up into the Run. Ranger records the daily information in his journal, and then later he transfers that data to his daily Attendance Sheets (sometimes even working on his day off to do all of this).

Are You Ready to Ride in the Canoe?
In our next report, Ranger Wayne will invite you to "ride along" in his canoe to help identify manatees. To get ready for that and for today's Challenge Question too, you should familiarize yourselves with the "key" features of The Run and Ranger Wayne's Attendance Sheets too.

Here's what you'll do! Take a look at or print out the "Introduction to Attendance Sheets" and the actual Attendance Sheets below, which were sent in by Ranger Wayne from this season:

Ranger Wayne's Attendance Sheets
(Click on image to enlarge and print)

November 18

December 12

December 27

January 27

Now, see if you can answer the Challenge Question below. (Tip: If you'd like to really get your teeth into this Challenge Question, you might want to first make the edible map below).

Challenge Question #11:
A) "In our last Update, Ranger Wayne reported that Georgia took someone's jeans off the dock in the Swimming Area. Looking at theBlank Attendance Sheet and the Introduction, in what transect numbers is the Swimming Area located?" (Speaking of Georgia, watch a short movie clip of her carrying a stick! Tip: How to Use Journey North Video Clips )

B) "November 18: On this day, where in the Run is Ranger Wayne seeing most of the manatees? If no manatee was actually seen in Transect 17, how could Ranger Wayne know one had been there?"

C) "December 12: What do you notice on December 12 about the location of the dark water from the River, and the location of the manatees? (Compare this to the November 18 Attendance sheet--see anything different?)"

D) "December 27: What do you notice on December 27 about the temperature of the River water? What about the location of the dark River water and the location of the manatees? (Compare this to the November 18 and December 12 attendance sheets)"

E) "January 27: At what location in the Run are the manatees located now, which they were not yet in as of November 18 or December 12?"

(To respond to this Challenge Question, please follow the instructions below.)

Try This! Hungry for Geography? Make an Edible Map
 To really get a detailed (and tasty) understanding of the layout of the Run at Blue Spring, make this edible Map. You'll really get your hands, eyes and teeth in to this project:

Remember, we'd love to see your prize-winning cookie map--send us a picture, and we'll put it in one of our Updates! (if you don't eat it all first)

Why Does the Daily Manatee Count Change From Day to Day?
Ranger Wayne's Attendance Sheets show that the number of manatees counted at Blue Spring can vary from day to day. In just the eight days shown below, the number of manatees ranged from a low count of 14 manatees to a high count of 123. What might explain this? A table of eight days of data from his Attendance Sheets is below. Take a look and then try to answer:


Challenge Question #12:
"Why do you think the number of manatees in the Blue Spring Run changes each day? Can you see any patterns or trends in the data below that explain the reason(s) for the changing number of manatees?"

Date
Air
Temp
Low(C)
Air Temp High(C
River Temp (C)
Run Temp. (C)
# of Manatees
11/18
02
20
18.7
22.5
14+
11/27
08
21
17.5
22.5
53
12/02
01
21
15.5
22.5
77
12/12
11
21
17.5
22.5
85
12/27
04
14
14.5
22.5
115
01/10
11
15
12.9
22.5
93
01/27
-02
21
11.0
22.4
123
02/02
03
21
14.1
22.3
54

*(All temperatures are in degrees Celcius; "nt" = temperature not taken)

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Teacher Tips: NEW Reading and Writing Connections AND Instructional Strategies
Reading Writing SelectionJourney North is offering NEW Reading and Writing Connections that utilize research-based instructional strategies to help students develop essential skills as they delve deeply into their understanding of the world through texts with real people, events, and issues.
"Got Questions?" Ask the Expert Now Open!
Calling all questions--is there something about manatees you'd love to know? Don't wait--now's your chance to ask a pro! For the seventh year in a row, Nancy Sadusky, from Save the Manatee Club, is back to answer your questions. She'd love to hear from you, and you can send your questions in now! What would you like to know?
Calf Graph! Discussion of Challenge Question #1
In our last report, we asked why it's important to monitor the number of calves at Blue Spring each year. The number of new calves is one factor in estimating population, and it’s the counterpart to monitoring mortality numbers.

The changing number of calves each year has to do with somewhat of a pattern at Blue Spring of birthing every two years. According to Ranger Wayne, "our animals tend to birth on a two-year interval, one year pregnant and one year nursing. Most give birth in the same year leaving the minority to birth the next year. Hence, we might see a pattern of six calves then twelve the next year then seven then seventeen."

A Manatee Hotspot: Discussion of Challenge Questions # 2, 3, & 4
In Challenge Question #2, we asked why a mammal like the manatee migrates to the Blue Spring Run in Winter? Like all other mammals, the manatee is warm-blooded. But the manatee is very susceptible to cold-related disease, and water temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit usually cause manatees to move into warm water refuge areas such as the natural springs at Blue Spring, or at warm water effluents of power plants.

January Departure Map
Click on Map to Enlarge

In Challenge Question #3, we asked why there were a record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring this season? Again, the reason all relates to the colder temperatures this year. Last year at Blue Spring the temperatures during winter were often quite mild, and as a result the number of manatees was often below the previous counts. But this year, the temperatures have been very cold. And the number of manatees being counted at Blue Spring has reflected that. This colder temperature variation is very clearly shown in the Map below which shows temperature departures in Florida for January:

To answer Challenge Question #4 about the volume of water pushed out by the Boil, here are the answers:

a) in one hour? (Answer = 4,333,333.33 gallons per hour)
b) in one minute? (Answer = 72,222.22 gallons per minute)
c) in 10 seconds? (Answer = 12,037.037 gallons per 10 seconds/1,203.703 gallons per second!)
d) in 7 days? (Answer 728,000,000 gallons per week)
e) For comparison, average water use to do common things at home is estimated to be:
20 gallons for a bath
30 gallons for a shower
40 gallons for a load of laundry
15 gallons for your dishwasher
60 gallons to wash your car.

Ackerman Aerial Manatee Counts! Discussion of CQ #5
The maps showed that the "optimal weather conditions" in 2001 and 2003 were very cold temperatures at the count times. Cold temperatures push the cold-sensitive manatees into warm water gathering areas, making it easier to count them. This is in contrast to 2002, when temperatures were not as cold, and so the count was very significantly lower. Again the Temperature Departures map (above) illustrates the abnormally cold weather that coincided with this year's counts.

A second element of optimal counting conditions is good visibility. Clear, calm, wind-free days after the cold spell are ideal. Visibility conditions this year and in 2001 were excellent. In contrast, last year in 2002, the count day turned out to be windy and cloudy, which impaired the observers' ability to see and count manatees. Take a look at these two photos to get an idea of what a difference the water surface can play in visibility (you can see the wind on the Spanish moss in the trees):

Do you see how water surface conditions can affect visibility?
Click to enlarge

Wind--see any manatees?

Less Wind--how about now?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do You Capture a Manatee? Discussion of Challenge Question #6
A Heavy Load
Courtesy of Credit: USGS, BRD, Sirenia Project

Have you wondered how our Scientists capture a manatee which averages about 10 feet long and can weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds?

Annie from Rolling Meadows High School realized correctly that this is a big process: "I think scientists use large drop nets or crane like lifts to pull manatees out of the water. It would probably take about 20 people since they weigh so much. It would be good to look for them where there is a mass of manatees."

Way to go, Annie! Cathy Beck says you're right, that it does take lots of people, special equipment and strong backs! Read more about this in Cathie's comments and photos too:

Measuring Manatee Movements: Discussion of CQ # 7
After you plotted and mapped the manatees' movements, we asked you to study their movements and tell some details about their movements.

(a) "In what direction has each manatee traveled?"
The manatees moved in many different directions. Actual and Tipper both moved west. Anna moved slightly northeast and so did Chuck. Gulliver moved mainly east, and Santina and Thumper went basically north a little.

(b) "Which manatee had the greatest change in longitude? How many degrees of longitude did it travel between its first and second data reading?"
Tipper had the greatest change in longitude, traveling .09 degrees.

(c) "Which manatee had the greatest change in latitude? How many degrees of latitude did it travel between its first and second data reading? How many miles does that represent in total?"
Santina had the greatest change in latitude, traveling .09 degrees. This equates to about only 6.21 miles. (One full degree of latitude equals about 69 miles, and .09 multiplied by 69 miles equals 6.21 miles)

(d) Since first being tagged and released at POI, which of the new manatees has traveled the greatest distance? Approximately how far has it traveled?"
Since its release at POI, Tipper traveled the greatest distance, having moved .688 degrees south to Whitewater Bay. This equates to about 47.47 miles travel in latitude distance. (One full degree f latitude equals about 69 miles, and .688 multiplied by 69 miles equals 47.47 miles).

Coming in the Next Report
  • Where will your Manatees migrate? Get the Latest Tracking Data from Sirenia Project!
  • You're in the Canoe--can you identify these manatees?
  • How is the Aerial Synoptic Survey planned and conducted, and what is it Like in the Plane?
How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:

IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-manatee@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #8 (or #9 or #10 or #11 or #12)
3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The Next Manatee Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 5, 2003.

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