Few people who live on the Gulf Coast are aware of the presence of manatees in Alabama’s waters, and even fewer realize they have an opportunity to officially name one.
Manatees in Alabama?
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Few people who live on the Gulf Coast are aware of the presence of manatees in Alabama’s waters, and even fewer realize they have an opportunity to officially name one.
Manatees in Alabama?
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting Network has been researching manatees in Alabama since 2007, and through tagging technology and consistent reports of sightings, researchers have determined that Mobile Bay is a big part of this endangered animal’s habitat.
So far, research shows Alabama’s manatees live near Tampa Bay during the winter months and move into Mobile Bay for the summer.
“Not a lot of people know they’re around here,” said Allen Aven, a Ph.D. student at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. “But we definitely know Mobile Bay is an important summertime habitat for manatees because we are seeing the same individual animals return here ever year, making the 405-mile trip from Crystal River, Fla.”
The researchers at the Manatee Sighting Network believe Mobile Bay is important to manatees because of its access to freshwater streams and the abundance of food — aquatic plants like turtle grass and water hyacinth. Although manatees live in salt water, they must drink fresh water every few days, Aven said.
Manatees should only be in Alabama from May to mid-November, said Ruth Carmichael, founder and director of the Manatee Sighting Network. If they are here during colder months, they risk sickness and death from cold stress.
Boating accidents are also a huge threat to manatees, and MSN hopes its research will also raise awareness among boaters about the presence of manatees in Alabama waters.
“Obviously if people aren’t aware that the animals are there, then they can’t do anything to try to prevent that,” said Elizabeth Hieb, manager of the Manatee Sighting Network. “We’re a little different from a strictly advocacy group because we’re mainly interested in the animals and what they’re actually doing here and what they’re relying on here, but ultimately, a lot of this will be used in conservation. We get the data, do the research and then hand it off to the advocacy and conservation managers.”
Naming Contest
The Manatee Sighting network is the only formal manatee sighting network in the U.S., and it conducts the only manatee research in the northern Gulf of Mexico outside of Florida. It is currently monitoring five tagged manatees.
“But we have one manatee who doesn’t have a name yet,” Hieb said. “Basically, when they capture these animals, they have a photo identification database. So based on the photos, every manatee is given and number and is catalogued by their photo. But when you’re working with even five animals and trying to remember which number is which — names work much better.”
The unnamed manatee is a male, 9.5-foot animal that was captured in the Delvan Bay area in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. He spent part of the fall in Wakulla Springs, Fla. before moving further south to Crystal Bay, Fla. for the winter.
Because the Manatee Sighting Network relies on the public to report manatee sightings and to be cautious when boating, the MSN researchers decided to give people the opportunity to name a manatee.
The naming contest is also a fundraiser. Between now and April 1, with the purchase of an MSN T-shirt, a Tacky Jack’s gift card or a tax-deductible donation, anyone can enter a name into the contest. Visit www.manatee.disl.org to make your purchase and submit a name.
The staff will narrow the names down to a group of finalists, and April 10–17, MSN’s Facebook fans will vote for the winner. The winning name will be announced on Facebook and at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s annual Discovery Day, April 20.
How You Can Help
The Manatee Sighting Network and the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network rely on locals and visitors to be their eyes and ears.
