HOORAY for Manatees!!!
Brevard County leads way in record Florida manatee count
More manatees were counted in Brevard County again this year than in any other county as part of an annual, statewide tally that set a record, officials said Monday.
The statewide total of 6,063 manatees tops the previous record set in 2010 by about 1,000, but that doesn't mean the state's manatee population has grown by that much, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Brevard's figure jumped from 612 in 2014 to 1,677 this year, according to Holly Edwards, a research scientist at the agency.
"I don't believe that reflects that Brevard's population has grown that much," Edwards said.
The state conducts the aerial surveys each year, depending on the weather. Researchers have no way to estimate the number of manatees that aren't visible during the surveys, so the tally is considered a minimum count of Florida's manatee population.
A team of 20 observers from 11 organizations counted 3,333 manatees on Florida's east coast and 2,730 on the west coast.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing whether the manatee population has rebounded enough to be reclassified as a threatened species, instead of endangered.
http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83071846/
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Oh......there are just more of them!!!!!
