Use of aerial survey and aerophotogrammetry methods in monitoring manatee populations

We evaluated the use of strip-transect survey methods for manatees through aseries of replicate aerial surveys in the Banana River, Brevard County, Florida, duringsummer 1993 and summer 1994. Transect methods sample a representative portion ofthe total study area, thus allowing for statistical extrapolation to the total area. Otheradvantages of transect methods are less flight time and less cost than total coverage, easeof navigation, and reduced likelihood of double-counting.Our objectives were: (1) to identify visibility biases associated with the transectsurvey method and to adjust the counts accordingly; (2) to derive a population estimatewith known variance for the Banana River during summer; and (3) to evaluate thepotential value of this survey method for monitoring trends in manatee population sizeover time. (51 page document)

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Miller, Karl E., Ackerman, Bruce B., Lefebvre, Lynn W., Clifton, Kari B.
Format:	monograph biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Florida 1996
Subjects:	Biology, Engineering, Banana River, Brevard County, Florida, manatee, Trichechus manatus, aerial surveys,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/19000
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