TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- An annual census has found 2,812 manatees in Florida waters, state wildlife officials said Tuesday.

A team of 16 observers surveyed the state manatee population by air and ground between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. Scientists counted 1,412 manatees on the Atlantic Coast and 1,400 on the state's gulf coast, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"We counted record numbers of manatees in Tampa Bay, Blue Spring and Brevard County," said FWC biologist Holly Edwards. She said 816 were counted in Brevard, for example, compared to the previous record of 718 in 2004.

"This was a very warm year, and it looks like the population has shifted to the north," Edwards said.

The first year the survey was taken in 1991 only 1,267 sea cows were counted statewide. Last year, scientists found 3,116.

However, officials said the count, mandated under state law, is not intended to represent the state's overall manatee population but simply offers a minimum number.

"We know there are at least this many manatees in Florida waters," said FWC spokeswoman Wendy Quigley. "It helps us provide a snapshot of manatee distribution around the state."

Currently, the state has no technique in place to count the entire population of manatees but scientists are working on new census methods to be able to track trends.

State wildlife commissioners voted unanimously in June to downgrade manatees from an endangered species to threatened because the population has shown signs of rebounding. Florida's three-tiered system includes classifications of endangered, threatened and special concern, the lowest level.

The listings are based on species population, how fast it is declining and when extinction is projected, among other factors. Florida's manatees remain protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.