There’s more good news for manatees in the state. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) counted a record number of manatees during the annual manatee synoptic survey.

A team of 21 observers and scientists from several different organizations counted 2,153 manatees on Florida’s east coast, 1,654 on the west coast—3,807 manatees statewide.

This year’s count is 500 more than 2001’s record tally of manatees. The January 2009 total is consistent with some population models that show manatee populations increasing in northwest Florida, along the Atlantic Coast and on the upper St. Johns River, reports the FWC.

Weather may have favorably helped 2009 manatee count numbers. “Several cold fronts passed through Florida over a short time period, causing a large number of manatees to move to warm-water sites,” said FWRI biologist Holly Edwards. “Good weather conditions allowed the manatees to be easily seen and counted, contributing to this year’s high count.”