Scientists to search for Ala.’s seasonal manatees

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August 18, 2009

Anonymous The News Courier Tue Aug 18, 2009, 09:38 AM CDT

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The search is on for manatees around Mobile Bay.

Researchers are asking anglers, boaters and beachgoers to help look for manatees that summer in Mobile Bay and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Experts believe one or two dozen are likely in the area this time of year.

Scientists from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab will be joined in coming days by experts from Florida as they search the delta and bay in an airplane, three boats and on foot.

The search is part of the Mobile Manatee Sighting Network’s ongoing study of the seasonal manatee population. Scientists say that population has grown in recent years.

“We have a rare opportunity to greatly expand our understanding of manatee feeding habits and movement patterns,” said Ruth Carmichael, senior marine scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. “Sighting calls from the public are absolutely crucial to this process.”

One of the goals is to identify the Alabama habitats the endangered species favors so they can be conserved and boaters can be warned to watch for the slow-moving manatees.

Fourteen manatees were sighted at a single time last year in upper Mobile Bay, but reports of such large clusters of manatees are rare in Alabama. Groups more often number four or five, but usually manatees travel solo, Carmichael said.

West Indian Manatees, which typically spend winters in warm waters in Florida, fan out each summer to forage for food. They eat as much as 100 pounds of sea grasses each day.

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