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 on
there’s a manatee looking back at you on
there’s a manatee looking back at you on shirts on buildings and even on license
shirts on buildings and even on license
shirts on buildings and even on license plates but despite their popularity
plates but despite their popularity
plates but despite their popularity times are tough for these lovable beasts
times are tough for these lovable beasts
times are tough for these lovable beasts recent surveys show that Florida’s
recent surveys show that Florida’s
recent surveys show that Florida’s manatee population is steadily declining
manatee population is steadily declining
manatee population is steadily declining and today there may be less than 3,500
and today there may be less than 3,500
and today there may be less than 3,500 left in the wild of those that remain
left in the wild of those that remain
left in the wild of those that remain four out of five bear the scars of
four out of five bear the scars of
four out of five bear the scars of encounters with boat propellers but
encounters with boat propellers but
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
nearly three decades
nearly three decades Edie began to unravel the mystery with
Edie began to unravel the mystery with
Edie began to unravel the mystery with the help of two captive-bred manatees
the help of two captive-bred manatees
the help of two captive-bred manatees trained to perform simple tasks but we
trained to perform simple tasks but we
trained to perform simple tasks but we ask the simple question is it possible
ask the simple question is it possible
ask the simple question is it possible that manatees can’t hear the boats or if
that manatees can’t hear the boats or if
that manatees can’t hear the boats or if they can hear them they can’t tell which
they can hear them they can’t tell which
they can hear them they can’t tell which direction they’re coming from so my wife
direction they’re coming from so my wife
direction they’re coming from so my wife and I actually set up a series of
and I actually set up a series of
and I actually set up a series of experiments to test the manatees hearing
experiments to test the manatees hearing
experiments to test the manatees hearing to see you exactly what they could hear
to see you exactly what they could hear
to see you exactly what they could hear what the Gerstein is discovered was
what the Gerstein is discovered was
what the Gerstein is discovered was astonishing the manatees seemed confused
astonishing the manatees seemed confused
astonishing the manatees seemed confused by the low-frequency sounds made by
by the low-frequency sounds made by
by the low-frequency sounds made by motor boats but when confronted with
motor boats but when confronted with
motor boats but when confronted with certain high-pitched sounds they
certain high-pitched sounds they
certain high-pitched sounds they responded almost instantly what we found
responded almost instantly what we found
responded almost instantly what we found was that manatees have very good hearing
was that manatees have very good hearing
was that manatees have very good hearing but their hearing is it at higher
but their hearing is it at higher
but their hearing is it at higher frequencies than what anyone expected
frequencies than what anyone expected
frequencies than what anyone expected actually the animals hear fairly poorly
actually the animals hear fairly poorly
actually the animals hear fairly poorly at low frequencies and unfortunately for
at low frequencies and unfortunately for
at low frequencies and unfortunately for them slow moving boats produce primarily
them slow moving boats produce primarily
them slow moving boats produce primarily very low frequencies now after nearly 20
very low frequencies now after nearly 20
very low frequencies now after nearly 20 years of research Edna’s wife Laura have
years of research Edna’s wife Laura have
years of research Edna’s 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 we’re ones all set together
and his team has secured special permits
and his team has secured special permits to conduct trials in the restricted
to conduct trials in the restricted
to 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 boys in the water
team sets boys in the water
team sets boys in the water equipped with underwater microphones and
equipped with underwater microphones and
equipped with underwater microphones and digital sound recorders being naturally
digital sound recorders being naturally
digital sound recorders being naturally inquisitive manatees soon move in to
inquisitive manatees soon move in to
inquisitive manatees soon move in to inspect the buoys and when they do ed
inspect the buoys and when they do ed
inspect the buoys and when they do ed and his team approach them in boats the
and his team approach them in boats the
and his team approach them in boats the drivers are trained to prevent
drivers are trained to prevent
drivers are trained to prevent collisions but will they need to the
collisions but will they need to the
collisions but will they need to the boats are equipped with new alarms they
boats are equipped with new alarms they
boats are equipped with new alarms they are emitting a high-pitched sound that
are emitting a high-pitched sound that
are emitting a high-pitched sound that Eddie believes the manatees will hear as
Eddie believes the manatees will hear as
Eddie believes the manatees will hear as you can see one camera is capturing the
you can see one camera is capturing the
you can see one camera is capturing the wide-angle view back in the lab ed and
wide-angle view back in the lab ed and
wide-angle view back in the lab ed and 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 but when
moment which is often too late but when
moment which is often too late but when Ed’s vessel sounds the alarm the
Ed’s vessel sounds the alarm the
Ed’s vessel sounds the alarm the manatees reaction is clear you can see
manatees reaction is clear you can see
manatees reaction is clear you can see the animal coming to frame here yeah
the animal coming to frame here yeah
the animal coming to frame here yeah look at that and he starts to orient at
look at that and he starts to orient at
look at 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 that’s great now he’s
about 24 meters that’s great now he’s
about 24 meters that’s great now he’s taking off rather quickly yeah this is a
taking off rather quickly yeah this is a
taking off rather quickly yeah this is a successful arm run yeah that’s really
successful arm run yeah that’s really
successful arm run yeah that’s really good and definitely tell the animal
good and definitely tell the animal
good and definitely tell the animal reacts again
and again and again we’ve got seventeen
and again and again we’ve got seventeen alarm runs and for those alarms we’ve
alarm runs and for those alarms we’ve
alarm runs and for those alarms we’ve got a hundred cent reaction we got
got a hundred cent reaction we got
got a hundred cent reaction we got Animus reacting way before the boat gets
Animus reacting way before the boat gets
Animus reacting way before the boat gets there and we’ve got over 65 silent runs
there and we’ve got over 65 silent runs
there and we’ve got over 65 silent runs where nine B seven percent of time the
where nine B seven percent of time the
where nine B seven percent of time the animals haven’t reacted off the alarm is
animals haven’t reacted off the alarm is
animals haven’t reacted off the alarm is a success it hopes at Sunday all boats
a success it hopes at Sunday all boats
a success it hopes at 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 a hundred and twenty-five
only about a hundred and twenty-five
only about a hundred and twenty-five dollars it’s a user based tax that the
dollars it’s a user based tax that the
dollars it’s a user based tax that the voters would gladly pay if they could
voters would gladly pay if they could
voters would gladly pay if they could put this on their boat and maybe get to
put this on their boat and maybe get to
put this on their boat and maybe get to an area a little bit quicker and more
an area a little bit quicker and more
an area a little bit quicker and more importantly protect the animal as
importantly protect the animal as
importantly protect the animal as they’re going sponsored by National
they’re going sponsored by National
they’re going sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking
Geographic mission programs taking
Geographic mission programs taking science and exploration into the new
science and exploration into the new
science and exploration into the new millennium
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