Florida loves its manatees here in Crystal River it’s practically an
Crystal River it’s practically an
Crystal River it’s practically an obsession nearly everywhere you look
obsession nearly everywhere you look
obsession nearly everywhere you look there’s a manatee looking back at you
there’s a manatee looking back at you
there’s a manatee looking back at you insurance on buildings and even on
insurance on buildings and even on
insurance on buildings and even on license plates but despite their
license plates but despite their
license plates but despite their popularity times are tough for these
popularity times are tough for these
popularity times are tough for these loveable beasts recent surveys show that
loveable beasts recent surveys show that
loveable beasts recent surveys show that Florida’s manatee population is steadily
Florida’s manatee population is steadily
Florida’s manatee population is steadily declining and today there may be less
declining and today there may be less
declining and today there may be less than 3500 left in the wild of those that
than 3500 left in the wild of those that
than 3500 left in the wild of those that remain four out of five bear the scars
remain four out of five bear the scars
remain four out of five bear the scars of encounters with boat propellers but
of encounters with boat propellers but
of encounters with boat propellers but what’s most puzzling is why manatees
what’s most puzzling is why manatees
what’s most puzzling is why manatees don’t swim away from the noisy motors of
don’t swim away from the noisy motors of
don’t swim away from the noisy motors of oncoming boats dr. Edmund Gerstein has
oncoming boats dr. Edmund Gerstein has
oncoming boats dr. Edmund Gerstein has been puzzling over this question for
been puzzling over this question for
been puzzling over this question for nearly three decades ad began to unravel
nearly three decades ad began to unravel
nearly three decades ad began to unravel the mysteries with the help of two
the mysteries with the help of two
the mysteries with the help of two captive red manatees trained to perform
captive red manatees trained to perform
captive red manatees trained to perform simple tasks oh yes a simple question is
simple tasks oh yes a simple question is
simple tasks oh yes a simple question is it possible that manatee has can’t hear
it possible that manatee has can’t hear
it possible that manatee has can’t hear the boats or if they can’t hear them
the boats or if they can’t hear them
the boats or if they can’t hear them they can’t tell which direction they’re
they can’t tell which direction they’re
they can’t tell which direction they’re coming from so my wife and I actually
coming from so my wife and I actually
coming from so my wife and I actually set up a series of experiments to test
set up a series of experiments to test
set up a series of experiments to test the manatees hearing to see you exactly
the manatees hearing to see you exactly
the manatees hearing to see you exactly what they can hear what the Gerstein is
what they can hear what the Gerstein is
what they can hear what the Gerstein is discovered was astonishing the manatees
discovered was astonishing the manatees
discovered was astonishing the manatees seemed confused by the low-frequency
seemed confused by the low-frequency
seemed confused by the low-frequency sounds made by motor boats but when
sounds made by motor boats but when
sounds made by motor boats but when confronted with certain high pitched
confronted with certain high pitched
confronted with certain high pitched sounds they responded almost instantly
sounds they responded almost instantly
sounds they responded almost instantly what we found was that manatees have
what we found was that manatees have
what we found was that manatees have very good hearing but their hearing is
very good hearing but their hearing is
very good hearing but their hearing is it at higher frequencies than what
it at higher frequencies than what
it at higher frequencies than what anyone expected actually the animals
anyone expected actually the animals
anyone expected actually the animals hear fairly poorly at low frequencies
hear fairly poorly at low frequencies
hear fairly poorly at low frequencies and unfortunately for them slow moving
and unfortunately for them slow moving
and unfortunately for them slow moving boats produce primarily very low
boats produce primarily very low
boats produce primarily very low frequencies now after nearly 20 years of
frequencies now after nearly 20 years of
frequencies now after nearly 20 years of research Eddie and his wife Laura have
research Eddie and his wife Laura have
research Eddie and his wife Laura have an innovative idea could they develop an
an innovative idea could they develop an
an innovative idea could they develop an alarm that exploits the manatees best
alarm that exploits the manatees best
alarm that exploits the manatees best hearing abilities flashcards are in now
hearing abilities flashcards are in now
hearing abilities flashcards are in now it’s time to put it to the test
it’s time to put it to the test
it’s time to put it to the test boy ones all set together to plummet and
boy ones all set together to plummet and
boy ones all set together to plummet and his team has secured special permits to
his team has secured special permits to
his team has secured special permits to conduct trials in the restricted
conduct trials in the restricted
conduct trials in the restricted waterways near NASA’s Cape Canaveral the
waterways near NASA’s Cape Canaveral the
waterways near NASA’s Cape Canaveral the team sets buoys in the water
team sets buoys in the water
team sets buoys in the water equipped with underwater microphones and
equipped with underwater microphones and
equipped with underwater microphones and digital sound recorders
being naturally inquisitive manatees
being naturally inquisitive manatees soon move in to inspect the boys and
soon move in to inspect the boys and
soon move in to inspect the boys and when they do ed and his team approach
when they do ed and his team approach
when they do ed and his team approach them in boats the drivers are trained to
them in boats the drivers are trained to
them in boats the drivers are trained to prevent collisions but will they need to
prevent collisions but will they need to
prevent collisions but will they need to the boats are equipped with new alarms
the boats are equipped with new alarms
the boats are equipped with new alarms they are emitting a high-pitched sound
they are emitting a high-pitched sound
they are emitting a high-pitched sound that EDD believes the manatees will hear
that EDD believes the manatees will hear
that EDD believes the manatees will hear as you can see one camera is capturing
as you can see one camera is capturing
as you can see one camera is capturing the wide-angle view back in the lab Eden
the wide-angle view back in the lab Eden
the wide-angle view back in the lab Eden has assisted Josiah review video of the
has assisted Josiah review video of the
has assisted Josiah review video of the experiments normally manatees will not
experiments normally manatees will not
experiments normally manatees will not move to avoid a boat until the very last
move to avoid a boat until the very last
move to avoid a boat until the very last moment which is often too late
moment which is often too late
moment which is often too late but when Ed’s vessel sounds the alarm
but when Ed’s vessel sounds the alarm
but when Ed’s vessel sounds the alarm the manatees reaction is clear see the
the manatees reaction is clear see the
the manatees reaction is clear see the animal coming to frame here yeah look at
animal coming to frame here yeah look at
animal coming to frame here yeah look at that and he starts to orient at about
that and he starts to orient at about
that and he starts to orient at about what would you say that is 75 feet about
what would you say that is 75 feet about
what would you say that is 75 feet about 24 meters it’s great now he’s taking off
24 meters it’s great now he’s taking off
24 meters it’s great now he’s taking off rather quickly yeah this is a successful
rather quickly yeah this is a successful
rather quickly yeah this is a successful Armand yeah that’s really good and
Armand yeah that’s really good and
Armand yeah that’s really good and definitely tell the animal reacts again
and again and began we’ve got 17 alarm
and again and began we’ve got 17 alarm runs and for those alarms we got a
runs and for those alarms we got a
runs and for those alarms we got a hundred percent reaction we got animus
hundred percent reaction we got animus
hundred percent reaction we got animus reacting way before the boat gets there
reacting way before the boat gets there
reacting way before the boat gets there and we’ve got over 65 silent runs we’re
and we’ve got over 65 silent runs we’re
and we’ve got over 65 silent runs we’re 9 B 7 percent of the time the animals
9 B 7 percent of the time the animals
9 B 7 percent of the time the animals haven’t reacted all the alarm is a
haven’t reacted all the alarm is a
haven’t reacted all the alarm is a success and hopes of Sunday all boats
success and hopes of Sunday all boats
success and hopes of Sunday all boats and manatee filled waters will be
and manatee filled waters will be
and manatee filled waters will be equipped with similar devices in a sense
equipped with similar devices in a sense
equipped with similar devices in a sense if we were to put this device on the
if we were to put this device on the
if we were to put this device on the boat which would be very inexpensive
boat which would be very inexpensive
boat which would be very inexpensive only about 125 dollars it’s a user based
only about 125 dollars it’s a user based
only about 125 dollars it’s a user based tax that the boaters would gladly pay if
tax that the boaters would gladly pay if
tax that the boaters would gladly pay if they could put this on their boat and
they could put this on their boat and
they could put this on their boat and maybe get to an area a little bit
maybe get to an area a little bit
maybe get to an area a little bit quicker and more importantly protect the
quicker and more importantly protect the
quicker and more importantly protect the animal as they’re going
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