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Apr 14, 2008 10:00 am US/Eastern

State Cancels Annual Aerial Manatee Head Count

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ― Out with old, in with the new – state officials have canceled this year's annual head count of Florida's manatee population because of unsuitable weather.

Since 1991, state wildlife officers have used slow flying aircraft to fly over canals, rivers and just about any body of water manatees have been known to inhabit conduct their annual head count. But the results have varied sometimes by more than 1,000 animals from year to year.

Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute say they've developed a new method to conduct the annual population survey which could produce a higher number of manatees because the aerial counts may have missed unseen animals.

Critics say they're wary of the new survey methods because the statistical formula it employs and results of a test run conducted earlier this year haven't been made public.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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