rates, is unanswered because a reliable method for determining 

 the age of manatees has not been found. The contractor is 

 sectioning and analysing bones from manatees whose age at 

 death is known. The objective is to determine if the bones 

 have detectable variations in growth rates or other variables 

 that reflect age. The work is being done in consultation 

 with scientists from the Southwest Fisheries Center of the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service who have developed technigues 

 for aging porpoises from thin sections of teeth. The report, 

 which is expected in June 1989, will describe the basic 

 structure of manatee bones and indicate the potential 

 applicability of this technigue for population-related studies. 



Assessment of Manatee Habitat along the East Coast of Florida 

 and Georgia 



(D.P. Domning, Ph.D., Howard University, Washington, D.C.; 

 C.J. Gluckman, Esg. , Tallahassee, Florida; and J. A. Valade, 

 Jacksonville, Florida) 



The long-term viability of the West Indian manatee in 

 Florida will depend in part upon identification and protection 

 of essential habitat. In 1984, the Commission, in consultation 

 with its Committee of Scientific Advisors, prepared a report 

 on the habitat protection needs for the subpopulation of 

 manatees in the Crystal River area of northwest Florida. As 

 described in Chapter III, a review of the West Indian manatee 

 recovery program in Florida during the Commission's Annual 

 Meeting in December 1987 identified an urgent need for assessing 

 habitat protection needs for manatees along the east coast of 

 Florida and Georgia. The Commission therefore undertook a 

 review of information on habitat use patterns and a study to 

 identify areas along the east coast of Florida and Georgia 

 reguiring special protection. To assist the assessment, the 

 Commission contracted for a series of overflights to survey 

 manatee habitat over the entire area. It also contracted 

 with individuals familiar with information on the east coast 

 manatees to help identify, review, and analyze key data sources. 

 The results of the assessment were presented in the Commission's 

 report entitled "Preliminary Assessment of Habitat Protection 

 Needs for West Indian Manatees on the East Coast of Florida and 

 Georgia" (see Appendix C, Marine Mammal Commission, 1988) . 

 The report has been widely distributed and is now being used 

 as a planning reference document. 



Publication of Educational Information on Manatees 



(Florida Department of Natural Resources, Tallahassee, Florida; 



D.P. Domning, Howard University, Washington, D.C.) 



One of the needs identified during the previously mentioned 

 1987 review of the West Indian manatee recovery program was 



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