Temperature Inverted Haloclines Provide Winter Warm-Water Refugia for Manatees in Southwest Florida |
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| Authors: | Bradley M Stith James P Reid Catherine A Langtimm Eric D Swain Terry J Doyle Daniel H Slone Jeremy D Decker Lars E Soderqvist |
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| Institution: | (1) Jacobs Technology, contracted to U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, 2201 NW 40th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32605, USA;(2) U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, 2201 NW 40th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32605, USA;(3) U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Water Science Center, 3110 SW 9 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315, USA;(4) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., MS-MBSP-4107, Arlington, VA 22203, USA;(5) U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Water Science Center - Ft. Myers, 3745 Broadway, Ste. 301, Fort Myers, FL 33901, USA |
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| Abstract: | Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) overwintering in the Ten Thousand Islands and western Everglades have no access to power plants or major artesian springs
that provide warm-water refugia in other parts of Florida. Instead, hundreds of manatees aggregate at artificial canals, basins,
and natural deep water sites that act as passive thermal refugia (PTR). Monitoring at two canal sites revealed temperature
inverted haloclines, which provided warm salty bottom layers that generally remained above temperatures considered adverse
for manatees. At the largest PTR, the warmer bottom layer disappeared unless significant salt stratification was maintained
by upstream freshwater inflow over a persistent tidal wedge. A detailed three-dimensional hydrology model showed that salinity
stratification inhibited vertical convection induced by atmospheric cooling. Management or creation of temperature inverted
haloclines may be a feasible and desirable option for resource managers to provide passive thermal refugia for manatees and
other temperature sensitive aquatic species. |
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