Survey 1Manatee Abundance Survey In fall/winter 2026, FWC will conduct one manatee abundance… and 1 more item

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued contract C7E280 for aerial survey services supporting manatee population monitoring and research activities. The contract, valued at $5,000, was awarded on August 31, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2027. Services will be performed on Florida's west coast, covering coastal areas from Franklin to Monroe County, with aircraft operations based at University Air Center in Gainesville, Florida. The contract encompasses two primary survey categories: a manatee abundance survey scheduled for fall/winter 2026 (November or December, weather permitting) requiring approximately 100 survey hours across a minimum of four days, and miscellaneous surveys including aerial observer training, emergency response flights for red tide or cold events, and animal tracking operations.

The contract specifies performance requirements for Cessna 172 aircraft with experienced manatee survey pilots. The primary abundance survey requires pilots to execute precise rectangular plots (one mile by one mile) at 750 feet altitude and 80-90 knots airspeed, with three consecutive passes per plot using navigational systems and GPS technology. Compensation for the primary survey is structured at $4,000 not-to-exceed, while miscellaneous survey services are capped at $1,000 not-to-exceed, with hourly rates differentiated between single-day and consecutive-day operations. All flight scheduling remains subject to weather conditions, and pilots must maintain qualifications in manatee survey operations and demonstrate capability for specialized maneuvers around infrastructure and during animal encounters.