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FORENSIC METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING WATERCRAFT FROM WATERCRAFT-INDUCED WOUNDS ON THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS)

  1. Sentiel A. Rommel1,†,
  2. Alexander M. Costidis1,
  3. Thomas D. Pitchford1,‡,
  4. Jessica D. Lightsey2,§,
  5. Richard H. Snyder3,
  6. Elsa M. Haubold4,¶

Article first published online: 21 DEC 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00095.x

Issue

Marine Mammal Science

Marine Mammal Science

Volume 23, Issue 1, pages 110–132, January 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Rommel, S. A., Costidis, A. M., Pitchford, T. D., Lightsey, J. D., Snyder, R. H. and Haubold, E. M. (2007), FORENSIC METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING WATERCRAFT FROM WATERCRAFT-INDUCED WOUNDS ON THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS). Marine Mammal Science, 23: 110–132. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00095.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab, 3700 54th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33711, U.S.A. E-mail: rommels@uncw.edu

  2. 2

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab, 3700 54th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33711, U.S.A. and University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Marine Mammal Health Program, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A.

  3. 3

    PE, Recreational Boating Consulting LLC, 5326 Fond du Lac Rd, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902–7554, U.S.A.

  4. 4

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 Eighth Ave. SE, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, U.S.A.

  1. †

    Current address: Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW, 601 S. College Rd., Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, U.S.A.

  2. ‡

    Current address: FWRI Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Jacksonville, Florida 32221, U.S.A.

  3. §

    Current address: Lightsey Veterinary Relief Services, 239 Granite Street, Pacific Grove, California 93950, U.S.A.

  4. Current address: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Mail Station 10, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, U.S.A.

  • †

    Current address: Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW, 601 S. College Rd., Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, U.S.A.

  • ‡

    Current address: FWRI Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Jacksonville, Florida 32221, U.S.A.

  • §

    Current address: Lightsey Veterinary Relief Services, 239 Granite Street, Pacific Grove, California 93950, U.S.A.

  • Current address: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Mail Station 10, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, U.S.A.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 DEC 2006
  2. Article first published online: 21 DEC 2006
  3. Received: 17 February 2006Accepted: 20 August 2006

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Keywords:

  • forensic methods;
  • watercraft-induced wounds;
  • Florida manatee;
  • Trichechus manatus latirostris;
  • propeller wounds;
  • trauma

Abstract

Watercraft-related mortality represents 1,253 (24.9%) of 5,033 Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) deaths recorded between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 2004. Wound patterns generated by collisions with watercraft are diagnostic. Sets of cuts and scrapes that are roughly equidistant and perpendicular to the direction of vessel travel are consistent with lacerations made by propeller blades. From these lesions, estimates of propeller diameter, pitch, rotation, and direction of travel may be obtained. Considerable overlap of propeller sizes and pitches on different size vessels, common use of counter rotation propellers, and numerous other complicating factors may confound efforts to accurately predict vessel size and type from propeller wounds. Of the more than one million watercraft registered in Florida, 98% are ≤12.2 m (40 ft), yet watercraft 5.3–36.6 m (17.5–120 ft) are known to have killed manatees. Analysis of a 5-yr subset of mortality data suggests that a disproportionate number of propeller-caused watercraft-related mortalities could be attributed to propeller diameters ≥43.2 cm (17 in.), inferring that these were caused by watercraft ≥12.2 m (40 ft).

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