Identification_Information: Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: James P. Reid Lynn Lefebvre, Dean E. Easton, Bradley M. Stith, Susan M. Butler Publication_Date: Unknown Title: Predicting effects of hydrologic restoration on manatees along the southwest coast of Florida Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: model Online_Linkage: http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/manatees/ Description: Abstract: This project focuses on West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) distribution, habitat use and movement patterns to address questions important to understanding the ecology of several communities in southwest Florida used by manatees, including offshore seagrass beds, estuarine bays, tidal creeks, and rivers. A large proportion of the southwest Florida manatee population occurs throughout the Everglades National Park (ENP) and north into the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) National Wildlife Refuge. Aerial surveys and telemetry data from tagged manatees provide a valuable means of documenting the response of manatees to natural and human-induced fluctuations in freshwater inflow. This information, combined with water quality data obtained from monitoring stations, will be incorporated into the manatee ATLSS model which will be used to better understand and predict manatee response to different restoration scenarios. The major objectives of the study are to determine relative abundance, distribution, movements, and habitat use of manatees associated with coastal waters and rivers in the western everglades, and to develop an individual-based ATLSS model to predict manatee response to changes in hydrology achieved by the Southern Golden Gate Estates (SGGE) project specifically, and more broadly by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Work has primarily focused on the TTI/SGGE restoration area, with some data also collected from tagged manatees using the southwest portion of ENP. Data for this project is collected via: satellite telemetry and tracking of individuals using a specially designed Global Positioning System (GPS) tag. Data will be used in developing the predictive manatee model which will integrate with the TIME model. Purpose: On-going research in this area (Everglades National Park and Ten Thousand Islands NWR) has shown that manatees make frequent movements up tidal creeks to obtain freshwater for drinking and to find thermal refugia during cold weather. Alteration of the freshwater and estuarine ecosystems associated with restoration of the Everglades and Southern Golden Gate Estates is likely to affect this manatee population. In addition, because manatees feed primarily on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in estuarine and near-offshore areas, they are excellent barometers of the health of a range of communities. This research will provide baseline data on these communities that will be important to future monitoring of the effects of the South Florida hydrological restoration efforts. Supplemental_Information: For more information on this project, visit the Center for Aquatic Resource Studies at http://cars.er.usgs.gov/Manatees/manatees.html Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Range_of_Dates/Times: Beginning_Date: 2000 Ending_Date: 2005 Currentness_Reference: ground condition Status: Progress: Complete Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned Spatial_Domain: Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Everglades National Park and Ten thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge Bounding_Coordinates: West_Bounding_Coordinate: -81.775 East_Bounding_Coordinate: -81.36 North_Bounding_Coordinate: 26 South_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.05 Keywords: Theme: Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: none Theme_Keyword: manatees Theme_Keyword: biology Theme_Keyword: estuaries Theme_Keyword: SAV Theme_Keyword: submerged aquatic vegetation Theme_Keyword: ecology Theme_Keyword: hydrology Theme_Keyword: model Theme: Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category Theme_Keyword: biota Theme_Keyword: environment Theme_Keyword: inlandWaters Theme_Keyword: 002 Theme_Keyword: 007 Theme_Keyword: 012 Place: Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions, Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4, Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology Place_Keyword: United States Place_Keyword: US Place: Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, D. C., NIST Place_Keyword: Florida Place_Keyword: FL Place: Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Department of Commerce, 1990, Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, FIPS 6-3, Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology Place_Keyword: Collier County Place_Keyword: Monroe County Place: Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Geographic Names Information System Place_Keyword: Everglades National Park Place_Keyword: Ten Thousand Islands NWR Place: Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: none Place_Keyword: SW Big Cypress Place_Keyword: Central Everglades Place_Keyword: Southern Golden Gate Estates Taxonomy: Keywords/Taxon: Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: none Taxonomic_Keywords: single species Taxonomic_Keywords: animals Taxonomic_Keywords: vertebrates Taxonomic_System: Classification_System/Authority: Classification_System_Citation: Citation_Information: Originator: U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Publication_Date: 2000 Title: Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Database Other_Citation_Details: Retrieved from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database, http://www.itis.gov. Online_Linkage: http://www.itis.gov Taxonomic_Procedures: Individual manatees were tracked from aerial surveys and telemetry data from tagged manatees. A pilot study was conducted on the use of strip-transect aerial surveys to estimate manatee population size in the Ten Thousand Islands region of southwest Florida. Six transect surveys were conducted during July-October 2000. We determined that this approach could provide a reasonable and statistically sound estimate of manatee population trend in the region. Taxonomic_Completeness: Perception bias, which occurs when some of the manatees visible within a strip transect are missed by an observer, is estimated by applying a Petersen mark-recapture model to counts made by two observers (Pollock and Kendall 1987, Marsh and Sinclair 1989). General_Taxonomic_Coverage: Manatees are identified to subspecies. Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom Taxon_Rank_Value: Animalia Applicable_Common_Name: animals Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Phylum Taxon_Rank_Value: Chordata Applicable_Common_Name: chordates Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Subphylum Taxon_Rank_Value: Vertebrata Applicable_Common_Name: vertebrates Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Class Taxon_Rank_Value: Mammalia Applicable_Common_Name: mammals Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Subclass Taxon_Rank_Value: Theria Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Infraclass Taxon_Rank_Value: Eutheria Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Order Taxon_Rank_Value: Sirenia Applicable_Common_Name: dugongs Applicable_Common_Name: manatees Applicable_Common_Name: sea cows Applicable_Common_Name: sirens Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Family Taxon_Rank_Value: Trichechidae Applicable_Common_Name: dugongs Applicable_Common_Name: manatees Applicable_Common_Name: sea cows Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Genus Taxon_Rank_Value: Trichechus Applicable_Common_Name: manatees Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Species Taxon_Rank_Value: Trichechus manatus Applicable_Common_Name: West Indian manatee Taxonomic_Classification: Taxon_Rank_Name: Subspecies Taxon_Rank_Value: Trichechus manatus latirostris Applicable_Common_Name: Florida manatee Access_Constraints: none Use_Constraints: Project data are subject to change and are not citeable until reviewed and approved for official publication. Point_of_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: James P. Reid Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: Florida Integrated Science Center 2201 NW 40th Terrace City: Gainesville State_or_Province: FL Postal_Code: 32605 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 352 264-3546 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 352 374-8080 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: JReid@usgs.gov Browse_Graphic: Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://cars.er.usgs.gov/posters/Manatee/Radio_Tracking_Manatees/rt_graphic9a.gif Browse_Graphic_File_Description: locations of tracked manatees in 2000-2001 Browse_Graphic_File_Type: GIF Browse_Graphic: Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://cars.er.usgs.gov/posters/Manatee/Agent_Based_Manatee_Model/studyarea2a.gif Browse_Graphic_File_Description: Ten Thousand Islands NWR study area Browse_Graphic_File_Type: GIF Browse_Graphic: Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://sofia.usgs.gov/geer/2003/posters/aerialsurvey/images/figure2x.jpg Browse_Graphic_File_Description: distribution of manatee groups during 8 aerial surveys in 2001 abd 8 surveys in 2002 within the Ten Thousand Islands region of south Florida Browse_Graphic_File_Type: JPEG Browse_Graphic: Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://cars.er.usgs.gov/posters/Manatee/Manatee_Aerial_Surveys/st_map1a.jpg Browse_Graphic_File_Description: Distribution of manatee groups during 17 aerial surveys in the Ten Thousand Islands between 8/1999 and 2/2001 Browse_Graphic_File_Type: JPEG Browse_Graphic: Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://cars.er.usgs.gov/posters/Manatee/Agent_Based_Manatee_Model/studyarea1a.gif Browse_Graphic_File_Description: Everglades study area Browse_Graphic_File_Type: GIF Data_Set_Credit: Project personnel include Terry Doyle (FWS), and Skip Snow (ENP) Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Lefebvre, L. W. Marmontel, M., Reid, J. P., Rathburn, G. B., Domning, D. P. Publication_Date: 2001 Title: Status and Biogeography of the West Indian Manatee Edition: 2nd Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Book chapter Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Boca Raton, FL Publisher: CRC Press Other_Citation_Details: in Biogeography of the West Indies C. A, Woods and F. E. Sergile, editors Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Reid, J. P. Butler, S. M., Easton, D. E., Deutsch, C. J. Publication_Date: 2001 Title: Fifteen years of success in tracking manatees with the Argos system: an overview of programs and techniques Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report Series_Information: Series_Name: Proceedings of the Argos International Users Conference Issue_Identification: April, 2001 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Largo, MD Publisher: Service Argos, Inc Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Deutsch, C. J. Reid, J. P., Bonde, R. K., Easton, D. E., Kochman, H. I., O'Shea, T. J. Publication_Date: 2000 Title: Seasonal movements, migratory behavior, and site fidelity of West Indies manatees along the Atlantic Coast of the United States as determined by radio-telemetry Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report Series_Information: Series_Name: Final Report Issue_Identification: Research Work Order 163 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: unknown Publisher: Florida Cooperative Fish and Research Unit, USGS and University of Florida Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Deutsch, C. J. Bonde, R. K., Reid, J. P. Publication_Date: 1998 Title: Radio-tracking manatees from land and space: Tag design, implementation, and lessons learned from long-term study Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report Series_Information: Series_Name: Marine Technology Society Journal Issue_Identification: 32(1) Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Washington, DC Publisher: Marine Technology Society, Inc. Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Beck, C. A. Reid, J. P. Publication_Date: 1995 Title: A automated photo-identification catalog for studies of the life history of the Florida manatee Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report Series_Information: Series_Name: Information and Technology Report Issue_Identification: 1 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Washington, DC Publisher: National Biological Service Other_Citation_Details: in Population Biology of the Florida Manatee T. J. O'Shea, B. B. Ackerman, and H. F. Percival, editors Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Miller, K. E. Ackerman, B. B., Lefebvre, L. W., Clifton, K. B. Publication_Date: 1998 Title: An evaluation of strip-transect aerial survey methods for monitoring manatee populations in Florida Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report Series_Information: Series_Name: Wildlife Society Bulletin Issue_Identification: 26(3) Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Bethesda, MD Publisher: The Wildlife Society Cross_Reference: Citation_Information: Originator: Gerrodette, T. Publication_Date: 1993 Title: TRENDS: software for a power analysis of a linear regression Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report Series_Information: Series_Name: Wildlife Society Bulletin Issue_Identification: 21 Publication_Information: Publication_Place: Bethesda, MD Publisher: The Wildlife Society Data_Quality_Information: Logical_Consistency_Report: not applicable Completeness_Report: not available Positional_Accuracy: Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy: Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: All tagged manatees are fitted with satellite-based Argos transmitters, which provide approximately four location fixes per 24-hour period, and have a serviceable battery life of six months. The GPS tag provides locations which are much more accurate than the Argos data (approx. 30 m vs. 150 m) every 15-30 minutes, but the battery life expectancy is much shorter (8 weeks vs. 6 months). In combination, the Argos data provides region-wide, long-term coverage suitable for revealing general patterns of habitat use, while the GPS data shows fine details of travel pathways and time spent in specific areas. Lineage: Methodology: Methodology_Type: Field Methodology_Identifier: Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: none Methodology_Keyword: strip-transect aerial surveys Methodology_Keyword: GPS tags Methodology_Keyword: satellite telemetry Methodology_Description: The positions of the tracked manatees were determined using radio telemetry and a data-logging GPS tag. Process_Step: Process_Description: Six surveys were conducted between 25 July and 22 October 2000 and eight surveys were conducted between 15 July and 30 August 2001. We established parallel transects, 1 km apart, with a survey strip width of approximately 250 m. Transects flown during July - October 2000 were oriented perpendicular to shore, between Palm Bay and the Ferguson River. Based on results from these surveys, 5 transects (26 - 30) were omitted and 5 new transects (31 - 35) were established near Cape Romano prior to the 2001 surveys. Transect lengths ranged from 6.6 to 8.4 km and 3.4 to 8.4 km in 2000 and 2001, respectively; water area surveyed ranged from 0.79 to 1.53 km2; per transect in 2000 and 0.83 to 1.53 km2; per transect in 2001. Two of the transects, number 31 and 32, were completely over water. Manatee locations were plotted on topographic maps, and flight paths were recorded on a Trimble Basic Plus GPS. Surveys were conducted from a Cessna 172 at an altitude of 153 m, traveling at approximately 120-140 km per hour. Perception bias, which occurs when some of the manatees visible within a strip transect are missed by an observer, was estimated by applying a Petersen mark-recapture model to counts made by two observers (Pollock and Kendall 1987; Marsh and Sinclair 1989). To assess the potential for detecting statistically significant trends in the Ten Thousand Islands NWR population, we used TRENDS software (Gerrodette 1993). We used CVs of 0.30 and 0.15, based on results from the surveys in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The following parameters were also selected: = 0.05; 1-tailed test; linear model of rate of change; CV proportional to the square root of the abundance estimate; standard normal distribution. If number of sampling periods is 6 per year, sampling is continued for a minimum of 4 years, and CV = 0.30, then power = 0.32. If number of sampling periods is 8 per year, sampling is continued for a minimum of 4 years, and CV = 0.15, then power = 0.86. We are likely to need a minimum of 8 surveys per year for a minimum of 4 years to detect an annual rate of change of 10% per year. The number of sediment plumes observed during the Ten Thousand Island NWR surveys (32 in 2000 and 72 in 2001 suggests that many manatees may not be directly observable. Observations from distribution surveys suggest that approximately 0.75 of plumes represent an actual manatee group. A correction factor should be developed to incorporate the number of observed plumes in the total estimated population size. Process_Date: 2002 Process_Step: Process_Description: We have relied on two types of technologies to acquire geographic locations from tagged manatees. All tagged manatees are fitted with satellite-based Argos transmitters, which provide approximately four location fixes per 24-hour period, and have a serviceable battery life of six months. The GPS tag provides locations which are much more accurate than the Argos data (approx. 30 m vs. >/= 150 m) every 15-30 minutes, but the battery life expectancy is much shorter (8 weeks vs. 6 months). In combination, the Argos data provides region-wide, long-term coverage suitable for revealing general patterns of habitat use, while the GPS data shows fine details of travel pathways and time spent in specific areas. Four newly developed Argos-linked GPS tags have been acquired which will be employed in FY03 and 04. This tag relays GPS locations as sensor data through the Argos satellite link, enabling detailed tracking data to be acquired remotely. Location data are formatted in SAS for error checking, analyses, and display in ArcView. Databases are correlated with temperature, salinity, and tidal data collected throughout the region. Process_Date: 2002 Process_Step: Process_Description: Work for FY 2003 includes two major tasks: 1) analysis of manatee telemetry data to support the development and parameterization of the individual-based model, and 2) development of the model in preparation to evaluate different restoration scenarios. The data analysis task involves using GIS techniques to analyze the telemetry data and characterize manatee behavior, including habitat use, movement patterns, time budget, and home range size. Salinity, water temperature, water depth, and other environmental data obtained from water quality monitoring stations in the study area likely are important factors influencing the behavior of manatees. We will develop software routines to embed water quality data into the telemetry data at the appropriate time intervals, and analyze these data with multivariate statistics to investigate the importance of various factors to manatee behavior. Development of the individual-based manatee model will focus on adding several new behavioral components to the model. A major new component will simulate manatee behavior within a Monte Carlo Markov Chain framework to model the transition of manatees between different behavioral states (e.g. feeding, drinking). Telemetry data and field observations provide valuable information that will be used to develop transition matrices that determine how much time animals engage in specific types of behavior, and how frequently they shift from one behavior to another. Another component will simulate different movement speeds associated with different behavioral activities, using distributions developed from the telemetry data. A third component will establish the home ranges of individual animals during the simulation. These home ranges will reflect the observed distribution of home ranges, with constraints added that each animal will inherit part of its range from it’s mother, and each home range will include freshwater and seagrass areas. A fourth component will simulate adaptive learning in manatees, with emphasis on how they respond to positive or negative reinforcement when they are searching for freshwater. Initially, a variety of simple animal learning models developed for laboratory maze studies will be evaluated within the model. Telemetry and salinity data from this region and elsewhere around the state will provide some insights into this issue, but additional telemetry data (especially GPS) likely will be needed to reduce the uncertainty associated with this issue. As additional data is collected, the model can be refined to incorporate new insights provided by the survey and telemetry data and the response of manatees to natural environmental fluctuations and human-induced alterations. Further descriptions of methods and procedures can be seen at http://cars.er.usgs.gov/Manatees/manatees.html Water quality data will be obtained from the Southwest Florida Coastal and Wetland Systems Monitoring Project (E. Patino) at http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/swcoast_est/index.html Process_Date: 2003 Process_Step: Process_Description: Work planned for FY 2004 includes: 1. Radio tracking manatees to assess the impact of hydrological changes in southwest Florida We have relied on two types of technologies to acquire geographic locations from tagged manatees. Most tagged manatees are fitted with satellite-based Argos transmitters, which provide approximately four location fixes per 24-hour period, and have a serviceable battery life of six months. Four newly developed Argos-linked GPS tags have been acquired and deployed in FY03. This tag relays GPS locations as sensor data through the Argos satellite link, enabling detailed tracking data to be acquired remotely. The GPS tag provides locations which are much more accurate than the Argos data (approx. 30 m vs. >/= 150 m) every 15-30 minutes, but the battery life expectancy is much shorter (8 weeks vs. 6 months). In combination, the Argos data provides region-wide, long-term coverage suitable for revealing general patterns of habitat use, while the GPS data shows fine details of travel pathways and time spent in specific areas. Location data are formatted in SAS for error checking, analyses, and display in ArcView. Databases are correlated with temperature, salinity, and tidal data collected throughout the region. Field efforts planned for FY04 and FY05 include tagging additional manatees in the TTI region and, if practical, in the southern portion of ENP. Manatee movement and habitat use data collected from Whitewater Bay to Marco Island will be integrated with PBS models and associated field projects in this region. Remote and field-based tracking has enabled documentation of manatee use patterns associated with near shore habitats. 2. Development of an individual-based ATLSS model for manatees to evaluate the impact of hydrological change in estuaries of southwestern Florida Work to be undertaken includes two major tasks: a) continued analysis of manatee telemetry data to support the development and parameterization of the individual-based model, and b) development of the model in preparation to evaluate different restoration scenarios. The data analysis task involves using GIS techniques to analyze the telemetry data and characterize manatee behavior, including habitat use, movement patterns, time budget, and home range size. Salinity, water temperature, water depth, and other environmental data obtained from water quality monitoring stations in the study area likely are important factors influencing the behavior of manatees. We will continue to incorporate water quality data into the telemetry data at the appropriate time intervals, and further analyze these data with multivariate statistics to investigate the importance of various factors to manatee behavior. Development of the individual-based manatee model will continue focusing on behavioral components within the model. This ongoing effort includes simulating manatee behavior within a Monte Carlo Markov Chain framework to model the transition of manatees between different behavioral states (e.g. feeding, drinking). We expect to improve our analysis of the telemetry data and transition matrices by utilizing multi-state mark-recapture models that are able to handle gaps in the telemetry data, to provide a robust means of evaluating factors affecting shifts in behavior. Modeling of individual home ranges will incorporate new telemetry data to better reflect observed variation in home range within the model. Further evaluation of reinforcement learning models will be conducted to simulate adaptive learning in manatees, with emphasis on how they respond to positive or negative reinforcement when they are searching for freshwater. We will continue to work to link the manatee model to a hydrology model (ultimately the TIME model). In the interim, we plan to simulate salinities along the network of creeks, rivers, and canals used by manatees using a technique demonstrated by Doering, Chamberlain et al. (SFWMD) to relate freshwater discharge to salinity gradients at varying distances from point of discharge. As additional data is collected, the model will be refined to incorporate new insights provided by the survey and telemetry data and the response of manatees to natural environmental fluctuations and human-induced alterations. Process_Date: Not complete Process_Step: Process_Description: Work planned for FY 2005 includes: Radio tracking manatees to assess the impact of hydrological changes in southwest Florida Field efforts planned for FY 2005 are minimal. Tagged manatees will be tracked through the end of the 2004 wet season. These individuals will then be utilized in the second year of a companion study of the winter-use patterns of manatees in the TenThousand Islands (TTI) region. Tagged manatee movement and environmental data collected between 2002 and 2004 from the study area will be error-checked and formatted for analysis. Distribution and movement data on manatees, combined with water quality data obtained from monitoring stations, will provide a basis for comparative studies in other areas of the region. Sharing of tracking and model data, such as manatee high use areas and travel patterns, are planned with TTI, ENP, and other agencies to address resource management needs. Development of an individual-based ATLSS model for manatees to evaluate the impact of hydrological changes in esturaries of Southwestern Florida: Work to be undertaken includes four major tasks: 1) finalize the analysis of manatee telemetry data obtained from Task 2 to support the development and parameterization of the individual-based model, 2) develop empirically-based surrogates for hydrology model output simulating the relationship between salinity and freshwater inflow for major rivers, 3) finalize and validate the individual-based manatee model, 4) devise and conduct a set of simulation runs to evaluate different restoration scenarios. The telemetry data analysis task involves using GIS techniques to analyze the telemetry data and characterize manatee behavior, including habitat use, movement patterns, time budget, and home range size. We are using the telemetry data to delineate a comprehensive network of sites used by manatees which will provide the landscape used in all simulations. The fine-scale GPS data is being used to develop detailed travel corridors between offshore and inshore areas, as well as movement speeds for incorporation into the model. The coarse-scale Argos data is being used in a robust, multi-state mark-recapture model to analyze the movement of manatees between different habitat zones (e.g. riverine and offshore). This analysis provides transition probabilities as input into the individual-based model in a Monte Carlo Markov Chain framework to model the transition of manatees between different habitat zones, and to provide a measure of individual heterogeneity in transition probabilities. We will complete the analysis of manatee home ranges using a fixed kernal approach with least square cross validation smoothing to identify overall home range, and core areas of utilization. Patterns of individual heterogeneity in home range size and location will be incorporated into the model. We are using a simple reinforcement model (Rescorla-Wagner) to model shifts in manatee home ranges in response to changes in availability of freshwater. A sensitivity analysis will be conducted to evaluate the parameters with the strongest influence on the model. We will devise a set of simple restoration scenarios that vary the influx of freshwater within the network of river systems used by manatees. The "status quo" scenario will be used to output data from the model to compare to the telemetry data (task 1) and to several years of aerial survey data (completed for a previous task). The response of simulated manatees to several different scenarios representing alternative restoration scenarios will be compared and evaluated. Because no hydrology model is available for the estuarine or marine portions of this study area, we will analyze data from monitoring stations within the study area to develop empirical relationships between freshwater discharge and salinity gradients at varying distances from point of discharge. We will vary these empirical relationships to simulate output from a hydrology model under alternative restoration scenarios. Water quality data will be obtained from several sources, including the USGS PBS project "Southwest Florida Coastal and Wetland Systems Monitoring Project" Process_Date: Not complete Process_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: James P. Reid Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: Florida Integrated Science Center 2201 NW 40th Terrace City: Gainesville State_or_Province: FL Postal_Code: 32605 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 352 264-3546 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 352 374-8080 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: JReid@usgs.gov Distribution_Information: Distributor: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: James P. Reid Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: Florida Integrated Science Center 2201 NW 40th Terrace City: Gainesville State_or_Province: FL Postal_Code: 32605 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 352 264-3546 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 352 374-8080 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: JReid@usgs.gov Resource_Description: manatee tracking data Distribution_Liability: No warrantees are implied or explicit for the data Standard_Order_Process: Non-digital_Form: Please contact James P. Reid for information regarding data from this project. Fees: none Metadata_Reference_Information: Metadata_Date: 20070130 Metadata_Contact: Contact_Information: Contact_Person_Primary: Contact_Person: Heather Henkel Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey Contact_Address: Address_Type: mailing and physical address Address: 600 Fourth Street South City: St. Petersburg State_or_Province: FL Postal_Code: 33701 Country: USA Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727 803-8747 ext 3028 Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727 803-2030 Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: sofia-metadata@usgs.gov Metadata_Standard_Name: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Part 1: Biological Data Profile Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999