DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER 58901 Overseas Highway Grassy Key, FL 33050 www.dolphins.org ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Dolphin Research Center is a not-for-profit corporation specializing in education and research. DRC is a tax-exempt organization, and as such, all donations, monetary or otherwise, are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Winter 2010 Page 4 The Gray Cross

THANK YOU! The response to DRC’s need for equipment

and supplies to support our rescue efforts for the

endangered Florida Manatee has been amazing.

Thanks to you, over $42,000 have been donated to

purchase items on our wish list.

Wish List Items Needed

Hoop Net - $450

Foam Pads (2) - $520

Waterproof Gear Bags (2) - $200

CPR Course (5 staff) - $250

Safety in Boating Course (5 staff) - $275

Strap fins (2 pair) - $150.00

Net Bucket—$1500.00

Protective bladders to

waterproof radios (6) - $250.00

Rash Guard Shirts—$1250.00

Animal rescue requires specialized equipment

to not only increase our chances for success, but

also to help us operate with the utmost safety for

the team as well as the manatees.

We could not do these rescue missions

without the generous assistance you provide.

You may donate money for these specific

items, or make a general donation to the Dolphin

Research Center Manatee Rescue Team.

For more information, contact the

Membership Department at 305-289-1121, ext. 229, or email drc-mbr@dolphins.org!

MANATEE IN DISTRESS

1-888-404-FWCC

DOLPHIN

RESEARCH

CENTER

www.dolphins.org

Licensed Manatee Rescue Team for the Florida Keys

At the time, the Florida Keys were in the midst of a prolonged

period of cold weather with water temperatures in the low 50s. Anytime

the water temperature falls below 68 degrees, manatees are vulnerable to

cold stress syndrome. Our team thought this could be causing the

problem.

For assessment purposes only, they offered the manatee — dubbed

Hope — some fresh water and romaine lettuce. (It’s illegal to feed or

water manatees and should only be done if instructed to by the FWC or

other authorized organization such as DRC!) She showed no interest in

food, but drank from a hose. They continued to watch and finally,

around sunset, she rolled and remained dorsal side up for an hour. The

FWC arrived on scene and attempted to outfit her with a peduncle belt

and radio tracking tag, but she swam away.

The next morning, Pat returned and found Hope in the same

location. The weather was noticeably warmer and water temperatures

were also increasing. This time, she munched on lettuce when it was

offered and drank additional water. “Overall, her movements were

much more normal,” says Pat. Staff visited the location two more times

that day in the afternoon, but Hope was no longer in the canal. A final

check the next morning showed that she had not returned. With the

weather continuing to warm up, everyone concerned agreed that the

increased water temperatures helped her condition to improve. Looks

like Hope lived up to her name!

By Mary Stella

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER 58901 Overseas Highway Grassy Key, FL 33050

www.dolphins.org

The Gray Cross A Quarterly Publication of DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

Volume 13, Number 1 Winter 2010

DRC Rescues Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles

Imagine the distress that residents of Galway Bay in Marathon must

have felt during the January cold snap as they watched a manatee float belly

-up in their canal. At first they thought it might be dead, but then, every so

often, it slowly rolled over, took a breath, and then rolled back to the belly-

up position. It might not be dead, but after watching the animal for awhile,

they knew this was not normal behavior so they called the FWC.

The FWC manatee biologist on duty asked Dolphin Research Center to

send an assessor. DRC’s Facilities Director Bette Zirkelback and Medical

Director Pat Clough responded. They monitored the female manatee for

several hours, checking its breathing and responsiveness and noting its

behavior. “She was very lethargic and moving slowly but her respiration

rate was normal and she had good body weight. There weren’t any scars or

anything obvious to indicate a boat strike or entanglement,” reports Pat.

Cont’d page 4

Hope for One Cold-Stressed Manatee

Lethargic from the cold, Hope the manatee spent

a lot of time floating upside down in a Middle

Keys canal.

DRC’s Chief Operating Officer Mandy Rodriguez

and team member Ryan Bliss (pictured r-l) transport

a cold-stunned sea turtle from the rescue boat.

In mid-January, Dolphin Research Center received a call from

our friends at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. A prolonged period of

extremely cold water temperatures was causing severe problems for

sea turtles. The Turtle Hospital and the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission (FWC) were receiving numerous phone

calls from boaters about sea turtles that were seen floating listlessly

or appearing dead at the surface of the water. Could we help? You

bet!

Team members bundled up and took out the rescue boat

whenever a turtle in distress was spotted around Grassy Key. “The

weather crisis was so severe for these poor turtles that we’d usually

see a couple more floating on each trip so we picked them up as

well,” explains Chief Operating Officer Mandy Rodriguez.

Over the course of a couple of intense days, our team rescued 28

Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and Green sea turtles. Once a turtle was

safely on board the boat, the team would cover it with towels in hopes

of beginning the warming process. On shore, we carefully

transported them to a waiting truck so that they could be taken to the

Turtle Hospital, mile marker 47.5, in Marathon.

Cont’d page 2

THE GRAY CROSS

Dolphin Research Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to a better understanding of marine mammals and the environment we share. DRC is home to a small colony of dolphins and sea lions where we conduct innovative research and offer many interactive, educational programs. Beyond our lagoons, we are the only private organization in the Florida Keys licensed to respond to manatees in distress. We are actively involved in our local community providing outreach presentations on a variety of conservation subjects. The Gray Cross evolved from our work with stranded marine mammals. DRC’s critical care program is world renowned. Our experience with dolphins, whales and sea lions is now being used to help the endangered Florida Manatee. DRC has also participated in rescue and release of endangered sea turtles. As a not-for-profit organization, contributions to DRC are welcomed and tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. For more information call (305) 289-1121 extension 229 or send an email to drc-mbr@dolphins.org.

Page 2 The Gray Cross

Turtles, from page one

“The Turtle Hospital was

inundated with animals in need

of help,” Mandy continues.

Over three days, they admitted

178 turtles on top of the 51 that

were already patients in

residence.

Once at the hospital, which

is the only facility of its kind in

the country that is dedicated

totally to sea turtles, staff and

volunteers placed the

newcomers into tubs, kiddie

swimming pools and tanks where

they could gradually be warmed

up. At one point, a number of the

recovering turtles had to be kept

in rooms at the attached motel!

Some of the rescued turtles

were quite large — weighing

between 200 and 400 pounds. To

further help the recovery effort, a

crew from DRC brought our

forklift to the hospital to help

move the larger animals into big

30-foot tanks. Later, when the

ocean temperatures warmed

enough for the turtles to be

released, the team’s manpower

and forklift came in handy for

moving turtles to boats.

Statewide, over 4500 sea turtles were

rescued. All species of sea turtles are

considered endangered. Luckily, more

than 80% of the rescued animals survived

and were able to be released! Locally, the

United States Coast Guard loaned out the

services of a boat and crew to take the

larger turtles further out to sea for their

release.

“This crisis brought out the best in

the Florida Keys community,” Mandy

comments. “Everybody worked together

to help these poor animals.”

by Mary Stella

Adam Keaton and Ted Nutty lift a Hawksbill tur-

tle from the rescue boat.

Chet Blaszcak and Adam Keaton stabilize a turtle while Mandy Rodriguez

watches and Ryan Bliss (drving forklift) lowers it into the tank. (Photo by

Donna Blaszcak)

For more information about the Turtle Hospital, visit

www.turtlehospital.org.

Winter 2010

Yes! I would like to make a contribution to Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team and their efforts to save an endangered species. __$10 $15 $25 $35 $50 Other $ Donations can be mailed to DRC, 58901 Overseas Hwy, Grassy Key, FL 33050, made online at www.dolphins.org or faxed to (305) 743-7627. Thank you!

Name: ____________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________ City: ____________________ State: ____ Zip: _________ Country: _____________

Type of Payment: (Please make checks payable to Dolphin Research Center.)

___ Check (US Funds) ____ Money Order (US Funds)

Credit Card: ____ VISA ____ MasterCard ____ Discover ____ Amex

Card # __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ Expires: __ __ /__ __

Signature of Cardholder: ________________________________________________

For more information about the Gray Cross and Dolphin Research Center, call 305-289-1121 extension 229. SC# NSC0210

Page 3 The Gray Cross

Good Times / Hard Times Every January, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) conducts a synoptic count of

manatees in Florida. Although not an exact census, the count provides a base number of manatees living in the state.

This year, 21 observers from 10 organizations took to the skies in planes and helicopters to look for as many animals as

possible. The effort provided surprising results as observers counted 5,067 manatees statewide. That’s more than 1200

animals than were counted in 2009!

The cold weather that caused so many problems for marine animals helped officials get an accurate count.

Prolonged cold water temperatures motivated manatees to seek out warm-water sites such as springs or power plant

outflows where they were more easily spotted. On the days of the count, Florida experienced calm, clear weather which

resulted in excellent visibility.

The higher number doesn’t mean that the population increased by that many animals in a single year. Still, officials

are pleased with the results. “Counting this many manatees is wonderful news,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.

“The high count this year shows that our long-term conservation efforts are working.”

It was a good month to receive some positive news, because January was an otherwise brutal month in manatee

mortality. More than 200 dead manatees were recovered in January and 77 of those deaths were attributed to cold-stress

syndrome. The previous record for cold-stress-related manatee deaths was 56 for an entire year! In 2009, a record

number of manatees—429— died in Florida. Unfortunately, with so many deaths already so early in the year, that record

will most likely be broken in 2010.

When it comes to cold-stress syndrome or other natural causes, humans can’t do much to help. However, last year,

34% of the deaths where a cause could be determined were human-related. Watercraft-related death such as boat strikes,

ingestion of fishing gear, entanglement in monofilament or other marine debris, and other factors contributed to these

statistics. Those are the causes of death that we can help reduce. Everyone on the water should obey the posted speed

zones and be alert for manatees in the area. Wearing polarized sunglasses increases visibility. Anything that goes out on

a boat has the potential to become debris if it gets into the water so we should all carefully collect and store our trash and

dispose of it properly on shore. Take special care not to let monofilament fishing line and other tackle go overboard.

The more positive actions we humans take, the better life will be for our manatee friends!

by Mary Stella