agreement on the points recommended in the Commission's letter. 

 It appeared that efforts initiated in the early 1980s were not 

 misdirected, but rather were not sufficiently extensive to 

 address the magnitude of the problems. 



During 1988, substantial progress was made to strengthen the 

 manatee program and address the points raised in the Commission's 

 November 1987 letter. Among other things, the Commission: 

 reviewed and distributed copies of a final contract report 

 evaluating the manatee recovery program in Florida and needed 

 improvements (see Appendix B, Reynolds and Gluckman 1988) ; 

 completed and distributed a report identifying actions needed to 

 protect essential manatee habitat on the east coast of Florida 

 and Georgia (see Appendix B, Marine Mammal Commission 1989) ; and 

 helped arrange cooperative efforts between the National Oceanic 

 and Atmospheric Administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 and the State of Florida to mark manatee-related boat speed zones 

 and sanctuaries on future editions of nautical charts. 



The Commission also dedicated most of its Fiscal Year 1988 

 research budget to manatees. It supported projects to: 



(1) convene a workshop on developing a computer-based geographic 

 information system to help assess and manage manatee habitat; 



(2) investigate the feasibility of determining the age of 

 manatees using bone growth layers; (3) assess the possible use of 

 DNA fingerprinting to determine genetic variability, kinship 

 relationships, and reproductive success of manatees; (4) assess 

 the effects of manatee grazing on seagrass beds in Hobe Sound; 

 (5) purchase a computer for field use in studies of seagrasses in 

 Hobe Sound; (6) convene meetings of the Florida Department of 

 Natural Resources Manatee Technical Advisory Council; and 



(7) prepare a popular article on the importance of saving 

 manatees. 



Also in 1988, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida 

 Department of Natural Resources took steps to address the 

 Commission's recommendations. Among other things, the Service: 

 reconvened a West Indian Manatee Recovery Team; completed a draft 

 revised Recovery Plan for manatees in Florida; completed a 

 proposal to expand the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge to 

 include additional manatee habitat; and devoted substantial 

 effort to reviewing Federal dredge and fill permit applications 

 for marinas and boating facilities in manatee habitats. The 

 Florida Department of Natural Resources continued to assume an 

 increasingly important role in the manatee recovery program. It 

 continued operations of the manatee salvage and necropsy program, 

 supported additional research efforts, reviewed dredge and fill 

 permit applications in manatee habitat, and worked closely with 

 local officials to develop manatee protection measures and marina 

 facility siting policies under authority of a State law that 

 requires local growth management plans. 



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