Unseasonably warm weather this winter has altered the normal winter aggregation habits of manatees and may be a factor in January having the highest one-month total of boating-related manatee deaths on record.

Besides keeping manatees scattered all around Florida, the warm weather has inspired boaters to spend more time on the water this winter.That's further compounding the potential for boating-related manatee fatalities, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The FWC's Florida Marine Research Institute documented at least 53 manatee deaths, including 16 confirmed (and at least one pending) boating-related deaths in January. Of the 16 confirmed boating-related deaths, six were found outside FWC-designated manatee zones where boat speeds are reduced because of normal manatee congregations. Ten were found in, or adjacent to, manatee zones.

"A plausible explanation for the increase in watercraft mortality for January is the confluence of warmer than average weather, resulting in dispersion of manatees and a likely increase in boating activity throughout Florida," said FMRI director Kenneth Haddad.

"This year, so far, manatees have dispersed from the warm waters around power plants and other places, such as natural springs, where they normally go to escape the winter chill."

Haddad said the high numbers of manatee deaths don't necessarily set a pace for the remainder of the year. He said they more likely reflect the fact that Florida is experiencing the longest warm weather stretch ever for this time of year.

Meanwhile, FWC law enforcement officers continue to patrol manatee-protection zones and enforce boat speed limits in areas where manatees traditionally congregate.

"While we focus law enforcement efforts in traditional manatee zones, it is difficult to concentrate manpower where the manatees are at the moment, because they have dispersed all around Florida waters," said Col. Bob Edwards, FWC's director of law enforcement. "We're dealing with an environmental phenomenon that we can't control just through law enforcement, so we're appealing to boaters and news media for a little help."

The FWC is asking news media to help spread the word to boaters to exercise extreme caution on all Florida waters until the animals resume their normal migration behavior.

Similar conditions occurred in February and March 2000.The high number of boating-related manatee deaths that year declined amid intense public information efforts, asking boaters to take extra precautions to avoid colliding with manatees.

Also, the agency is asking boaters to: reduce their boat speed as much as possible; watch carefully for manatees; avoid manatee habitat areas such as seagrass beds; stay in designated channels; avoid pursuing or touching manatees; avoid discarding fishing lines, hooks or nets in the water; wear polarized sunglasses to improve their ability to spot manatees and seagrass beds; and notify the FWC immediately when they spot a manatee in distress and report any accidental collisions with manatees to the FWC immediately at (888) 404-3922.Cellular phone users can dial FWC in most areas.

The FWC's volunteer reservists are assisting in the effort by distributing manatee awareness information at boat ramps.

The worst year for manatee deaths was 1996, when 415 of the animals died. The worst January on record was in 1990, during which 73 manatees died, largely as a result of cold stress.Two thirds of manatee deaths result from causes unrelated to boating, such as red tide. However, the number of boating-related manatee deaths is the one category people can influence.