The university of florida marine animal rescue (UF MAR) team has conducted manatee rescue, carcass recovery, and research efforts within its coverage area (levy, dixie, and taylor counties) since 2016

The University of Florida (UF) has been awarded a $108,509.33 Project Grant by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance (CFDA #15.683) program. The grant will support UF's Marine Animal Rescue (UF MAR) team's efforts in conducting manatee rescue, carcass recovery, and research within its coverage area in Levy, Dixie, and Taylor Counties, Florida, as well as assisting with manatee surveillance, rescue, and relocation across the state in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Key deliverables include: 1) Increased availability, response, and deployment of towing vehicles and trailers for Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast operations, 2) Multi-agency manatee responses, including out-of-habitat entrapment cases, 3) Manatee health assessments along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and 4) Deployment of the mobile response and processing trailer for unusual mortality events. The grant will fund the purchase of a second pickup truck to enhance the program's stranding response capability and enable simultaneous deployment of multiple pieces of equipment to distant locations.

In addition, UF MAR has assisted in surveillance, rescue, and relocation of out of habitat manatees across the state of florida through florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) and US fish and wildlife service (FWS) partnerships. UF mars current equipment fleet is comprised of one (1) ford F250 super duty pickup truck, one (1) 21-foot carolina skiff vessel and trailer, and one (1) carcass trailer to transport carcasses. UF MAR was successfully awarded a 16-foot enclosed multifunctional mobile response and processing trailer from the FY 2022 prescott marine mammal rescue assistance grant program, via FWS, which was received in march 2023. Taking the FY 2022 prescott grant awarded trailer into account, the final UF MAR fleet count arrives at three (3) trailers and one (1) vehicle to respond and or tow, when necessary. We propose the purchase of a second pickup truck to support the previously awarded prescott trailer from FY 2022, when both a truck and trailer proposed exceeded the prescott budget limit. Currently, with UF mars single truck, we are constrained to delivering only one piece of towed equipment per response. The addition of a second truck to the program will greatly enhance our stranding response capability. IT would enable US to deploy a boat, processing trailer, or carcass trailer simultaneously to distant locations in levy, dixie, and taylor counties, as well as along the atlantic coast. Having this additional resource would significantly improve our equipment and resource availability, for both UF MAR and florida manatee stranding network partners. Our current rescue activities and equipment will remain engaged on the gulf coast with the existing truck, while the new, additional truck can be tasked with transporting the mobile response and processing trailer or the carcass trailer to the atlantic coast to assist in health assessments, relocation of animals for evaluation, and unusual mortality events (UME). Deliverables:1. UF mars increased availability, response, and deployment of the towing vehicle and the trailer locally in gulf of mexico and atlantic COAST2. Multi-agency manatee responses, including out of habitat entrapment CASES3. Manatee health assessments along the atlantic coast (brevard county) or the gulf coast for processing support, equipment storage, and medical response supplies on HAND4. Deployment of the trailer utilizing the towing vehicle at unusual mortality events for multi-use support and a protected environment from the weather. UF MAR has offered support to nine entrapment cases since january of 2020. The intended beneficiaries, in addition to the manatees involved, are onsite personnel involved in response and research, as well as medical personnel using the stable mobile response and processing trailer platform, which is available for short and long term deployment. This increased mobility allows built in trailer desk space and a protected environment for personnel and equipment needed on site, rather than reliance on tents in isolated and challenging environments. The addition of another towing truck to the manatee rescue and carcass recovery network will enhance response across the state of florida, fulfilling the mandates for FWS, FWC and MRP partners.