DRC’s dedication to
marine mammals and the environment we share goes beyond
our lagoons in a number of ways. One of those endeavors
is our standing as the only authorized manatee rescue
facility in the Florida Keys. Manatees are considered
an endangered species by the federal government, and
therefore given special protection under the Endangered
Species Act as well as the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
DRC is frequently called upon to help manatees in distress.
In order to assist them, DRC has been awarded a Letter
of Authorization (LOA) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, which regulates the manatee rescue program.
Under the LOA, DRC is licensed as a verification team,
which means we provide verification of the location and
condition of manatees in distress to the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC). Additionally
we are authorized to rescue and transport distressed
or injured manatees to designated facilities at the request
of the FWCC, and to transport and release them back into
the wild once they have been rehabilitated.
DRC can also serve as a temporary rehabilitation holding
facility. This allows us to provide temporary care to
manatees by providing routine husbandry procedures and
medical treatment based on advice from a qualified manatee
veterinarian.
In order to obtain the government authorization to
assist manatees, DRC staff undergoes specialized training
provided by FWS and other experts in the field. This
training includes VHF radio tracking techniques of manatees
who may need continued monitoring. We routinely conduct
in-house assessment and rescue training, and practice
by doing mock rescues. DRC also stays up to date on advances
in the field by participating in the Interagency Oceanaria
Manatee Working Group meeting annually held by FWS. Through
our participation in the Florida Entanglement Working
Group, we work to educate the public about recycling
monofilament fishing line and keeping line and various
other forms of marine debris out of the oceans.
 Copyright © 2009
Dolphin Research Center
Information Can Be Used with Proper Citing
Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL 33050-6019
305-289-1121 www.dolphins.org
|
