2012 COURSE DATES: AUGUST 4 – 17, 2012 - Sirenian International

582 D. J. Semeyn et al.
biologists and other researchers to provide law enforcement
with the most timely, accurate, and understandable
information possible.
Open dialogue among biologists, resource managers, and
law enforcement officers is critical to reaching a balance
between ensuring human access to waterways and resources
contained therein and providing protection for vulnerable
natural resources. This coordination is especially important in
areas such as Lee County where there is high use of key
habitats by both people and manatees, and where tension
exists surrounding regulations aimed at protecting a species or
habitat. Open dialogue fosters partnerships, mutual respect,
and an understanding that is crucial for manatee conservation
and protection. Lee County and the LCMLETF is a model for
this type of partnership.
Conclusions
With minimal cost and time, this project contributed to
conservation and management of manatees in Lee County.
It provided:
□ aerial survey data that clarified both the larger-thanexpected
numbers of manatees present in Lee County
waters and the habitats they prefer seasonally;
□ a spatial and temporal monitoring tool for long term
decision making with regard to balancing the development
of coastal waterways and protection of key areas
for manatees;
□ real-time information on manatee numbers and locations
to enhance enforcement actions;
□ validation of current state regulatory zones set within
the county.
Possibly the largest impact was in the simplest aspect of
the project: communication. Through building partnerships
and interagency cooperation, studies such as this one can
hope to promote conservation at a much higher level. Not
only did it provide managers with information to make
sound decisions when considering regulations or permits in
a dynamic environment, but it allowed law enforcement to
maximize limited resources and focus on the most critical
areas.
Resource managers benefit from the knowledge of
when and where to be most vigilant when navigating the
waterways of Lee County. This information should be
relayed to the public through a variety of media outlets
in several different mediums. Future research in any of
the 13 key counties should examine distribution of
manatees compared to existing regulatory zones and
focus on communication between agencies and with the
public to further conservation efforts of this endangered
species.
Acknowledgements We thank the pilots and observers that conducted
the surveys including Lew Lawrence, Dr. James Powell, Greg Baker,
Jorge Neumann, and Kat Frisch. We are especially grateful to the staff of
Florida Power & Light Company, particularly Winifred Perkins and Jodie
Gless, for their patience and support throughout the course of the study as
they coordinated our surveys with FPL security staff. Special appreciation
also goes to the air traffic controllers at Fort Myers Page Field and
Southwest Florida International Airport. Thanks also go to the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement officers
and the Lee County Marine Law Enforcement Task Force for their
interest and cooperation. The authors would also like to thank Jay
Sprinkel for his advice and review of the statistical analysis, Kimberly
Miller, Alexis Levengood, and Adrien Miller for their help editing and
formatting the manuscript, and Holly Edwards for providing information
on present and previous studies conducted by the FWC in Lee County.
Funding for this project was provided by the Lee County Department of
Natural Resources, and airplane fuel was kindly donated by Dolphin
Aviation of Sarasota, Florida.
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