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Time-activity budgets and displacement rates in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the absence and presence of humans
Title
Time-activity budgets and displacement rates in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the absence and presence of humans.
Creator
Abernathy, Jim., Florida Atlantic University, Adams, Ralph M.
Abstract/Description
The effects of human presence on displacement behavior and time-activity budgets of free-ranging manatees (Trichechus manatus) are poorly known. The congregation of manatees and human tourists in the warm waters of Crystal River, Florida, during the winter months offered a unique opportunity to study these effects. Focal animal sampling was used to gather behavioral data on manatees during randomly selected daylight sampling periods. Frequencies of displacement were correlated with numbers of...
Show moreThe effects of human presence on displacement behavior and time-activity budgets of free-ranging manatees (Trichechus manatus) are poorly known. The congregation of manatees and human tourists in the warm waters of Crystal River, Florida, during the winter months offered a unique opportunity to study these effects. Focal animal sampling was used to gather behavioral data on manatees during randomly selected daylight sampling periods. Frequencies of displacement were correlated with numbers of humans to determine if incidences of displacement were increased. Displacement increased with human presence. Maintenance and sexual behaviors decreased as human presence increased.
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Date Issued
1995
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15176
Subject Headings
Manatees--Florida, West Indian manatee--Florida, Human-animal relationships
Format
Document (PDF)
Call Categorization and Vocal Behavior of the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Title
Call Categorization and Vocal Behavior of the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris).
Creator
Brady, Beth A., Moore, Jon, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description
Florida manatees are semisocial marine mammals that vocalize when interacting with conspecifics and to maintain contact with offspring. While many aspects of their biology have been studied, there is a dearth of information on the diversity and complexity of vocal behavior during social, nonsocial, and stressful situations. Investigations of vocal communication repertoires which define, categorize, and correlate varied call types with behavior are needed in order to understand the behavioral...
Show moreFlorida manatees are semisocial marine mammals that vocalize when interacting with conspecifics and to maintain contact with offspring. While many aspects of their biology have been studied, there is a dearth of information on the diversity and complexity of vocal behavior during social, nonsocial, and stressful situations. Investigations of vocal communication repertoires which define, categorize, and correlate varied call types with behavior are needed in order to understand the behavioral and social function of associated calls. Arguably the most important social bond in manatees is the period of cow/calf dependency and empirical evidence indicates cows recognize the vocalizations of offspring. Exploration of individually distinctive vocal features can provide insight on which parameters might be salient to facilitate recognition between cows/calves. This study is focused on vocal communication in Florida manatees, how calls are structured, utilized and function while animals are distressed and during social interactions in their shallow water habitats. Hydrophones recorded vocalizations from individual calves and manatees in different behavioral contexts and varying size aggregations. Analysis of the vocal repertoire indicated manatee vocalizations can be parsed into five broadly defined call types which include the hill-shaped high squeak, tonal squeak, noisy squeal, two toned chirp, and the combinatorial squeak-squeal. Furthermore, the high squeak is likely a discrete call whereas the others are graded and do not have strict boundaries between call types (Chapter 2). Broadly defined call types were used to explore call usage with variations in behavior, group size, and group composition (Chapter 3). Manatees vocalized using few call types and altered structural parameters depending on behavioral state. Calls were longer and more frequency modulated when stressed. Vocalizations produced while cavorting were higher in entropy and more frequency modulated than when manatees were resting or feeding. Vocalizations obtained from individual calves suggest that the high squeak is a stereotypical call that is produced by smaller calves. All calves had individually distinctive acoustic features that could potentially be used in recognition (Chapter 4). Lower fundamental frequencies and higher emphasized frequencies from smaller calves suggest that the fundamental frequency may not be a reliable indicator of body size in calves. This research increases our knowledge of the vocal behavior and call characteristics of the Florida manatee.
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Date Issued
2020
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013519
Subject Headings
Manatees, West Indian manatee--Florida, Trichechus manatus latirostris, Vocalization, Animal, Florida manatee
Format
Document (PDF)
Regionalization of Scar Patterns on the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) Observed at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida.
Title
Regionalization of Scar Patterns on the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) Observed at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida.
Creator
Goldsworthy Gomez, Lauren, Moore, Jon, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Environmental Studies
Abstract/Description
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is native to Florida and the Indian River Lagoon. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) is located in Indian River Lagoon and is frequently visited by manatees. The Manatee Project was created in 2009 to document and photograph the manatees visiting HBOI. Analyzing photographs of 146 manatee that visited HBOI showed that a majority of the injuries sustained were caused by boats. 97% of the manatee had at least one propeller injury...
Show moreThe Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is native to Florida and the Indian River Lagoon. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) is located in Indian River Lagoon and is frequently visited by manatees. The Manatee Project was created in 2009 to document and photograph the manatees visiting HBOI. Analyzing photographs of 146 manatee that visited HBOI showed that a majority of the injuries sustained were caused by boats. 97% of the manatee had at least one propeller injury and 31% of the manatee had at least one skeg injury. Other non-boat related injuries seen in the images included cold stress and entanglement injuries. This study looked at the prevalence of scar by anatomical region, the cause of injury, and compared injury locations between male and female manatees.
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Date Issued
2018
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013031
Subject Headings
Florida manatee, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, West Indian manatee--Florida, Scars
Format
Document (PDF)
underwater audiogram of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Title
The underwater audiogram of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris).
Creator
Gerstein, Edmund Roy, Florida Atlantic University, Salmon, Michael
Abstract/Description
The hearing abilities of two adult manatees were tested using a forced two-choice paradigm and an up/down staircase psychometric technique. Prior to this research, no hearing tests or audiograms had been measured for any Sirenian species. This test was also the first controlled underwater infrasonic hearing test conducted on any marine mammal. The audiogram demonstrated a wider range of hearing (0.5 to 38 kHz) and greater sensitivity (50 to 102 dB re:1muPa) throughout this range than had...
Show moreThe hearing abilities of two adult manatees were tested using a forced two-choice paradigm and an up/down staircase psychometric technique. Prior to this research, no hearing tests or audiograms had been measured for any Sirenian species. This test was also the first controlled underwater infrasonic hearing test conducted on any marine mammal. The audiogram demonstrated a wider range of hearing (0.5 to 38 kHz) and greater sensitivity (50 to 102 dB re:1muPa) throughout this range than had previously been suggested by averaged evoked potential and anatomical studies. The audiogram was a typical U-shaped mammalian hearing curve and was compared with other marine mammal underwater audiograms. Both manatees were most sensitive to frequencies between 12-18 kHz at 50-54 dB. The manatees' hearing sensitivity dropped more than 20 dB per octave below 1600 Hz. This higher frequency sensitivity may have evolved as an adaptation to a shallow water existence where low frequency sound propagation is limited. Limited hearing sensitivity at lower frequencies may be a contributing factor to the manatees' vulnerability to boat collisions.
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Date Issued
1995
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15192
Subject Headings
West Indian manatee, Manatees--Florida, Manatees--Sense organs, Audiometry, Hearing levels
Format
Document (PDF)