Lowry Park Zoological Society Of Tampa Inc

ZOO TAMPA AT LOWRY PARK WILL IMPLEMENT A BEHAVIOR MONITORING VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEED FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND RESEARCH BY OFFERING AN INNOVATIVE, REMOTE INTERNSHIP TO PREPARE 96 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OVER 6 TERMS FOR CAREERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE. BY COMBINING ZOO VIDEO FOOTAGE WITH STRUCTURED TRAINING BY EXPERTS IN BEHAVIORAL HUSBANDRY AND RESEARCH METHODS, THE PROJECT ENABLES A COLLEGE STUDENT TO GAIN CRITICAL SKILLS TO ADVANCE THEIR ENTRY INTO THE WORKFORCE. THIS APPROACH SUPPORTS THE ZOOLOGICAL INDUSTRY’S GOAL TO EXPAND EVIDENCE-BASED, WELFARE-FOCUSED ANIMAL CARE AND INCREASES THE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE ANIMAL SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS.

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION TO PROVIDE FLORIDA MANATEES WITH CRITICAL AND REHABILITATIVE CARE AT OUR DAVID A STRAZ JR MANATEE CRITICAL CARE CENTER. OUR CENTER IS ONE OF ONLY TWO FEDERALLY AUTHORIZED FACILITIES FULLY OPEN AT THIS TIME TO RECEIVE MANATEES REQUIRING CRITICAL CARE.AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF MANATEE CRITICAL CARE AT THE CENTER IS FACILITATED THROUGH OUR THREE MEDICAL POOLS WHICH ARE EQUIPPED WITH MOVEABLE MEDICAL FLOORS THAT ALLOW US TO SAFELY LIFT AND LOWER MANATEES TO FACILITATE MEDICAL PROCEDURES. EACH MEDICAL FLOOR CONSISTS OF SEVERAL STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS WITH THE DECKING AND BEAMS SERVING AS THE PRIMARY LOAD BEARING ELEMENTS. OVER TIME CONSTANT USE AND IMMERSION IN WATER HAS LED TO SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION OF BOTH DECKING AND BEAMS MAKING REPLACEMENT NECESSARY TO ENSURE STAFF AND ANIMAL SAFETY AND PREVENT OPERATIONAL DISRUPTIONS.THIS PROJECT WILL REPLACE THE DECKING AND BEAMS OF THE MEDICAL FLOORS IN ALL THREE CRITICAL CARE POOLS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN UNINTERRUPTED STANDARDS OF CARE PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR STAFF AND ANIMALS AND SUSTAIN THE LONG TERM FUNCTIONALITY OF OUR FACILITY.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

WE REQUEST $146.470.95 TO CONTINUE PARTIAL (50%) SUPPORT FOR OUR TWO EXISTING FULL-TIME MANATEE STRANDING RESPONSE POSITIONS AND INITIATE FULL SUPPORT (100%) FOR AN ADDITIONAL PART-TIME (27 HOURS) POSITION FOR TWO YEARS (8 1 24-7 31 26). THE THREE POSITIONS, ALONG WITH EXPANSION OF OUR CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES AND THE ACQUISITION OF A FIELD RESPONSE VEHICLE AND JON BOAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT FWCS MANATEE STRANDING OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND OUTSIDE THE STATE, AS NEEDED. IN 2023, WE SECURED FUNDING FROM THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO ACQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL FIELD RESPONSE VEHICLE AND JON BOAT TO ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO ASSIST WITH RESCUE OPERATIONS, TRANSPORTS VERIFICATIONS, AND CARCASS RECOVERIES. WE ALSO RECEIVED $3.17 MILLION FROM THE STATE THROUGH FWC TO CONSTRUCT TWO NEW MEDICAL POOLS AND ENHANCE THE MAIN LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM (LSS) FOR OUR DAVID A. STRAZ, JR. MANATEE CRITICAL CARE CENTER (CENTER). WE WILL COMPLETE THE NEW POOLS BY LATE 2024, FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE CRITICAL CARE POOLS. THE PROPOSED PART-TIME POSITION AND THE NEW CRITICAL CARE POOLS, FIELD RESPONSE VEHICLE AND JON BOAT WILL ENHANCE OUR RESPONSE CAPABILITY IN TERMS OF TIME, LEVEL, AND TYPES OF SERVICE TO FWC IN THE FIELD. WHEN THE TEAM IS NOT IN THE FIELD, THEY WILL SUPPORT MANATEE CRITICAL AND REHABILITATIVE CARE AT THE CENTER. AN ADDITIONAL PART-TIME POSITION IS NECESSARY AS EACH RESPONSE REQUIRES AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE, TWO STRANDING TEAM MEMBERS OR ONE TEAM MEMBER AND A VOLUNTEER. AS MANATEE STRANDINGS CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME, FWCS REQUESTS SOMETIMES COME WHEN ONE OR BOTH TEAM MEMBERS ARE OFF DUTY, OR A VOLUNTEER IS NOT AVAILABLE TO ACCOMPANY THE ONE TEAM MEMBER THAT IS ON DUTY. THE ADDITION OF THE 27-HOUR POSITION AND THE ONGOING TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS NOT ONLY INCREASES THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF HOURS WE CAN DEVOTE TO FWC REQUESTS BUT WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO STAGGER THE TEAMS WORK SCHEDULES TO INCREASE THE SPAN OF TIME THEY ARE AVAILABLE. WITH OUR INCREASED AVAILABILITY AND ENHANCED SUPPORT CAPABILITIES, WE EXPECT FWC REQUESTS TO INCREASE AS WELL. ADDITIONALLY, OUR CAPACITY FOR INTAKES WILL INCREASE WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE TWO NEW CRITICAL CARE POOLS, REQUIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF TIME FOR MANATEE CARE CRITICAL AND REHABILITATIVE CARE AT THE CENTER, INCLUDING PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION. OUR STRANDING RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS ARE DUALLY TRAINED TO SUPPORT CRITICAL AND REHABILITATIVE CARE AND FIELD ACTIVITIES, MAXIMIZING OUR CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO FWCS VARYING PRIORITY ACTIVITIES. WHEN NOT ENGAGED IN THE FIELD, THE STRANDING RESPONSE TEAM ASSISTS WITH MANATEE CARE AT THE CENTER, MANAGING INTERNS, PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ABOUT THE MANATEE PROGRAM. THE ADDITIONAL PART-TIME POSITION WILL ALSO BE DUALLY TRAINED TO PERFORM THOSE SUPPORTING TASKS.

AS THE PLIGHT OF FLORIDAS MANATEE POPULATION CONTINUES, THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION (FWC) IS LEADING PLANS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CRITICAL CARE-CAPABLE FACILITIES TO SUPPORT THE ONGOING NEED TO RESCUE AND REHABILITATE THESE ANIMALS. THERE ARE CURRENTLY ONLY 3 ACTIVE MANATEE CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, INCLUDING OUR DAVID A. STRAZ, JR. MANATEE CRITICAL CARE CENTER (CENTER), WHERE WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED A RECORD NUMBER OF MANATEES THIS YEAR (19 AS OF 3 23 2023), SURPASSING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MANATEES WE RECEIVED IN 2022 (17). WE HAVE 21 MANATEES IN CRITICAL OR REHABILITATIVE CARE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS APPLICATION. IN SUPPORT OF FWCS INITIATIVE TO INCREASE CAPACITY FOR MANATEE CRITICAL CARE, AND WITH FUNDING FROM THE STATE THROUGH FWC, WE WILL BE CONSTRUCTING 2 ADDITIONAL CRITICAL CARE POOLS BY MAY 2024, BRINGING OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF CRITICAL CARE POOLS TO 5.IN ORDER TO FUNCTION AS A MANATEE CRITICAL CARE REHABILITATION CENTER, EVERY FACILITY IS REQUIRED TO HAVE CERTIFIED MANATEE CRITICAL CARE VETERINARIANS ON STAFF. USFWS CERTIFIES ELIGIBLE VETERINARIANS AFTER DOCUMENTING TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY IN MANATEE CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. TYPICALLY, VETERINARIANS DEVELOP THIS PROFICIENCY THROUGH ON-SITE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING DIRECTED BY ACTIVE MANATEE CRITICAL CARE VETERINARIANS. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE ONLY 8 CERTIFIED VETERINARIANS PRACTICING AT THE 3 EXISTING CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES. IN ORDER TO GROW THE CAPACITY FOR MANATEE CRITICAL CARE WITHIN THE MANATEE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION PARTNERSHIP (MRP), THE SELF-GOVERNING NETWORK OF PUBLIC AGENCIES AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS ON WHICH FWC RELIES FOR ASSISTANCE WITH RESCUING, REHABILITATING, RELEASING AND MONITORING FLORIDA MANATEES, ADDITIONAL CERTIFIED MANATEE CRITICAL CARE VETERINARIANS ARE NEEDED. WE PROPOSE WITH THIS 2-YEAR PROJECT TO DEVELOP A FORMALIZED PLAN FOR TRAINING PROSPECTIVE MANATEE CRITICAL CARE VETERINARIANS, AND TO UTILIZE THAT PLAN TO PREPARE ONE VETERINARIAN FOR USFWS CERTIFICATION DURING THE GRANT PERIOD THROUGH A NEW MANATEE CRITICAL CARE VETERINARY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AT ZOOTAMPA. THE TRAINING GUIDELINES WE DEVELOP, WHICH WILL INTEGRATE AND SUPPLEMENT THE USFWS CERTIFICATION CRITERIA, WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL MANATEE CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES, AND THE VETERINARY FELLOW WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT ANOTHER FACILITY UPON COMPLETION OF THEIR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION.THE VETERINARY FELLOWSHIP WE PROPOSE WILL RESULT IN FORMALIZED MANATEE CRITICAL CARE TRAINING GUIDELINES, BASED ON USFWS CERTIFICATION CRITERIA, WHICH WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE REMAINDER OF OUR ANIMAL POPULATION, INCLUDING TERRESTRIAL AND OTHER AQUATIC SPECIES. WORKING WITH DR. NAU AND DR. STRINGFIELD IN THE GENERAL ANIMAL POPULATION WILL ALLOW THE FELLOW TO FURTHER HONE COMPARATIVE CLINICAL SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY BENEFIT THE VETERINARY CARE OF MANATEES. WE ARE REQUESTING SUPPORT FOR THE PERSONNEL COSTS TO DEVELOP A FORMAL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MANATEE CRITICAL CARE VETERINARIANS, INCLUDING SALARY, FRINGE BENEFITS, AND A PROFESSIONAL STIPEND. WE WILL PROVIDE AN APPROXIMATE 30 MATCH THROUGH THE PERSONNEL COSTS FOR THE PROJECT PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, DR. MELISSA NAU, AND PROJECT CO-INVESTIGATOR, DR. CYNTHIA STRINGFIELD. DR. NAU WILL DEVELOP THE FORMAL TRAINING GUIDELINES AND PRIMARILY SUPERVISE THE VETERINARY FELLOW WITH DR. STRINGFIELD SUPPORTING.

ENHANCE VETERINARY DIAGNOSTICS AND CRITICAL CARE OF WEST INDIAN MANATEES AT ZOOTAMPA AT LOWRY PARK

ESTABLISH A WEST INDIAN MANATEE STRANDING RESPONSE CAPABILITY AT ZOOTAMPA AT LOWRY PARK

REPLACE MOBILE CRANE FOR MANAGING WEST INDIAN MANATEES AT DAVID A. STRAZ, JR. MANATEE CRITICAL CARE CENTER, ZOOTAMPA AT LOWRY PARK

WE SEEK PRESCOTT ASSISTANCE TO EXPAND OUR MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM STAFFING TO 2 FULL TIME POSITIONS FOR 2 YEARS WHICH WILL ENSURE OUR TEAM S AVAILABILITY TO SUPPORT FWC S NEEDS 7 DAYS A WEEK THROUGHOUT THE STATE WE ARE REQUESTING PRESCOTT SUPPORT FOR 50 OF THE PERSONNEL COSTS OF THOSE TWO POSITIONS, AND WE COMMIT TO FUNDING THE OTHER 50 AS OUR COST SHARE FURTHER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO COVER THE TRAVEL AND PER DIEM COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPPORTING FWC S FIELD OPERATIONS WE APPLIED SUCCESSFULLY IN APRIL 2020 TO THE NEW PRESCOTT MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH A FIELD RESPONSE CAPABILITY TO BETTER SUPPORT FWC S MANATEE STRANDING AND RESCUE NEEDS FROM 1991 UNTIL AUGUST 2020 WHEN OUR CURRENT GRANT STARTED, WE SUPPORTED FWC PRIMARILY BY PROVIDING CRITICAL AND REHABILITATIVE CARE FOR MANATEES FROM ANY PART OF THE STATE BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2020, WE ACQUIRED AND OUTFITTED A MANATEE TRANSPORT VEHICLE 16 FORD E450 BOX TRUCK AND PURCHASED 2 KAYAKS FOR LOCAL IN WATER VERIFICATIONS IN NOVEMBER 2020, WE HIRED TWO MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS, 1 FULL TIME AND 1 HALF TIME, WITH EXTENSIVE STRANDING EXPERIENCE TO ESTABLISH THE NEW PROGRAM AND RECRUIT AND TRAIN VOLUNTEERS TO DATE, OUR MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM, INCLUDING 8 VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED AND TRAINED FOR THE PROJECT, HAS RESPONDED TO 88 FWC REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT FLORIDA, LOGGING 311 75 HOURS IN THE FIELD AND 7,796 VEHICLE MILES ACTIVITIES INCLUDE RESCUE AND TRANSPORTS, VERIFICATIONS, CARCASS RECOVERIES, RELEASES AND TRANSFERS AS MANATEE DEATHS BEGAN TO INCREASE ON THE EAST COAST, AND USFWS DECLARED THE UME IN MARCH 2021, FWC REQUESTED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM ITS PARTNERS FOR EAST COAST STRANDING RESPONSE, TRANSPORTING MANATEES TO CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES, CARCASS RETRIEVAL, NECROPSIES, AND IN WATER AND LAND BASED VERIFICATIONS TO DATE, OUR MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM, INCLUDING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, HAS LOGGED 50 75 HOURS AND 2,207 VEHICLE MILES SUPPORTING FWC ON THE EAST COAST ALONE WE CURRENTLY RESPOND WITH AT LEAST 2 STAFF TO EACH FWC REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING ONE OF THE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS AND EITHER A MANATEE CARE TEAM MEMBER OR ONE OF THE TRAINED VOLUNTEERS FIELD RESPONSE AND MANATEE CARE TEAM MEMBERS ARE CROSS TRAINED TO MAXIMIZE OUR CAPACITY TO SUPPORT FWC REQUESTS VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED AND TRAINED AS PART OF OUR INITIAL PROJECT WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND AS REQUESTED AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR TRAINING AT LEAST 1 TRAINED MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM MEMBER OR TRAINED VOLUNTEER WILL PERFORM REQUESTED IN WATER AND LAND BASED VERIFICATIONS ACTIVITIES PROPOSED FOR THIS PROJECT REFLECT A CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF OUR EXISTING MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE PROGRAM THEY INCLUDE 1 INCREASE MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE TEAM STAFFING TO 2 FULL TIME POSITIONS, ENSURING WE CAN SUPPORT FWC 7 DAYS A WEEK ANYWHERE IN THE STATE 2 CONTINUE CROSS TRAINING OF MANATEE FIELD RESPONSE AND MANATEE CARE TEAM STAFF TO OPTIMIZE THE CAPACITY OF BOTH TEAMS 3 CONTINUE TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST WITH LOADING AT STRANDING SITES, TRANSPORTING RESCUED MANATEES, IN WATER AND LAND BASED VERIFICATIONS, AND RELEASES 4 CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND OR UPDATE WRITTEN PROTOCOLS FOR FIELD RESPONSE ACTIVITIES 5 CONTINUE TO CONDUCT IN WATER AND LAND BASED VERIFICATIONS PER FWC REQUEST 6 CONTINUE TO RESPOND AS REQUESTED BY FWC FOR RESCUES, TRANSPORT, RELEASES, CARCASS RETRIEVAL, AND NECROPSY ASSISTANCE 7 CONTINUE TO RECORD AND REPORT DATA TO FWC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DATA PROTOCOLS 8 CONTINUE TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 9 CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND USE PROJECT EVALUATIONS AND MAINTAIN THE PROJECT SCHEDULE 10 CONTINUE TO MANAGE PROJECT ACTIVITIES ACCORDING TO THE GRANT TERMS

THIS ACTION PROVIDES FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $50,000 TO ASSIST LOWRY PARK ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TAMPA TO INCORPORATE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT INTO THE WI

THE LOWRY PARK ZOO AND ITS PROGRAMMATIC PARTNERS WILL CREATE THE HYBRID ONLINE AND EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAM, 'WILD WHERE WE LIVE: ONLINE AND EXPERIENTIAL ENRICHMENT FOR EARLY LEARNING SUPPORT.' BASED ON A PREVIOUS PROGRAM 'CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN' PILOTED IN 2020, THIS PROJECT WILL FURTHER ASSIST FAMILIES IN RECOVERING FROM PANDEMIC-RELATED CHILD LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES. INFORMED BY THE NATIONAL 'TALK, READ, SING' INITIATIVE, ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE VIRTUAL STORY TIMES BY PROGRAMMATIC PARTNER HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY COOPERATIVE WITH EMBEDDED ANIMAL PRESENTATIONS BY THE ZOO; A NATURE ACTIVITY KIT AND ENGLISH/SPANISH GUIDE DELIVERED TO APPROXIMATELY 450 CLIENT FAMILY HOMES; 'TALK, READ, SING' INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE AT THE ZOO; AND FREE ZOO ADMISSION FOR PARTICIPATING FAMILIES. THIS PROGRAM WILL SERVE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN FACING SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN PREPARING THEM FOR SCHOOL DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LIMITED RESOURCES AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS.