CESI Modeling Project 06-2
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Everglades National Park provides habitat for a substantial population of manatees.
NPS Photo by Douglas Morrison
Manatees were first afforded federal protection in 1967, and a significant portion of Florida's population resides in the waters of Everglades National Park. Manatees remain at risk, largely due to low reproductive rates, a decline in suitable habitat, and accidental collisions with motor boats. It is important for managers to understand what impact intended Everglades restoration activities might have on this endangered species. This CESI-funded project developed integrated, regional hydrologic models covering nearly the entire southwest coast south of Naples, providing a much needed tool for evaluating restoration effects on coastal, estuarine, and freshwater ecosystems. This data was then incorporated into an individual-based model for the purposes of evaluating how completion of restoration projects (particularly the Picayune Strand) might affect the availability of the freshwater, forage, and refugia upon which manatees depend. RELATED PUBLICATIONS Langtimm, C. A., R. Dorazio, B. Stith, T. Doyle. In press. A new aerial survey and hierarchical model to estimate manatee abundance. Journal of Wildlife Management. Swain, E. and J. Decker. 2010. A measurement-derived heat-budget approach for simulating coastal wetland temperature with a hydrodynamic flow model. Wetlands 30:635-648. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 
Contact the principal investigator directly with questions about this study. Stith, Slone, Reid, USGS, Manatee, Everglades, National Park, CESI, Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative, Langtimm |
Did You Know?
The “high and dry” tree islands of the Everglades are called tropical hardwood hammocks. The park marks a significant edge of the northern limits of many subtropical plants and the southern limits of many temperate plants. This provides quite a unique and beautiful landscape.