This is called the Minimum Flow and Levels (MFL) program. For this reason, water management districts around the state of Florida are setting limits on groundwater withdrawals that affect springs. As more water is drawn from the spring for human use, the area accessible to manatees at these warm water sites shrinks. Unfortunately, springs such as Blue Spring are at risk as development and subsequent water withdrawals to support such development increases. Since manatees do rely on these springs for survival, the manatees have become an important catalyst for the protection of the springs and groundwater. The spring has also become a popular site to release rehabilitated manatees because the habitat is so important. The high public visibility of the manatees in the spring allows for sick or injured manatees to be spotted and rescued more easily, which has saved manatees’ lives over the years. In addition to photo ID, Blue Spring has been instrumental in manatee rescue and rehabilitation. In fact, the visual ID and genealogy work performed by former Park Ranger and Park Service Specialist Wayne Hartley is potentially the longest running manatee genealogy record in the state of Florida. Manatees are photographed and identified by their scar patterns to determine which manatees are returning to Blue Spring each year and construct manatee family trees that show the relatedness of many of the manatees that winter at Blue Spring. Geological Survey Sirenia Project to carry out photo identification of the manatees. Due to the large number of manatees that use Blue Spring, the clear waters, and the easy visibility, the site has become a perfect location for researchers at the U.S.
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