Inverse correlation between water temperature and the presence of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) at Port Everglades, FL.

Inverse correlation between water temperature and the presence of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) at Port Everglades, FL.

Alvin Sherman Library 4009

Florida manatees are known to be intolerant of cold water. Prolonged exposure to cold water will cause a pathological cold stress syndrome. For this reason, during the winter months, manatees tend to aggregate at sources of warm water, such as springs and power plants, or to migrate south to find warmer waters. Port Everglades, the port of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a well-established manatee refuge during the cold weather months. The presence of manatees and the temperature of the water near the Florida Power and Light electricity generating plant were monitored for calendar 2003. Water temperatures in other parts of the port were also monitored. The results indicate that manatee presence was correlated with colder waters, both in the effluent canal and elsewhere in the port, during the winter months. During the other times of the year, water temperatures were warmer, and no manatees were observed. The average temperature of the water in the FPL effluent canal was 88.87 degrees Fahrenheit (± 11.53 SD) while the average temperature elsewhere in the Port was 76.24 degrees Fahrenheit (± 9.57 SD). Interestingly, the difference in water temperature was greater in the summer than in the winter (P < 0.01).