WHAT IS A MANATEE?-  Manatees have large gray bodies with a paddle-like tail that propels them at two to seven miles per hour and two flippers for steering which allow them to be agile and perform activities such as barrel rolling and body surfing. Full-grown manatees aberage nine to ten feet in length and weigh between 900 and 1200 pounds (Bossart 1999). Manatees are herbivores and spend most of their day eating or resting. In order to deal with the abrasive plants and sand that are part of their diet, manatees have adapted continouusly replacing molars which move from the back to the front of the mouth (SMC Handbook). Another adaptation to a diet of approximately 100 pounds of vegetation per day is a large digestive tract (Bossart 1999). Manatees eat plants that are above, in, or under the water. Seagrass beds are especially important to manatees and in some cases exotic plant species in Florida are the only food sources for manatees

SAY WHAT?-  Manatees emit many sounds for communication, not echolocation, to express emotions including sexual arousal and fear. The sounds are used in communication to maintain contact betwen manatees, often a mother and her calf, during feeding or traveling (SMC Handbook). The hairs and bristles on a mantee have innervation for tactile experiences and feeding. This may be an adaptation for locating food and other objects because manatees lack echolocation (Reep and Marshall).

FAMILY TIME:-  When manatees are ready to breed, they form mating groups. One female is followed by a group of approximately a dozen males, but no permenent bonds are formed. Manatees have one calf every three to five years, which is a low reproductive rate. This is partially due to the fact that a mother may nurse her calf for up to two years (SMC Handbook). Manatees can live for more than fifty years, and a long life is essential to maintain a population with such a low reproductive rate (Bossart 1999).

DANGERS TO MANATEES:-  Collisions with boats are the largest cause of human-related mortality. These deaths occur because manatees usually stay in water that is three to seven feet deep, they move slowly, and the must surface for air. Boats kill manatees by sharp cuts from propellers or by striking them with the boat hull (Bossart 1999). If a manatee is surfacing for air and struck by a boat, the manatee can sink and drown (Luoma 1996).

Loss of habitat is a serious threat to manatees. As the population of Florida continues to grow, manatee habitats are destroyed. The economy of Florida relies on development and water recreation industries, which harm and destroy manatee habitats (Bossart 1999). Human activities, such as pollution and littering, harm manatee habitats as well. Pesticides, detergents, and other industrial chemicals pollute the water in which manatees live. Litter in the water, such as fishing line and plastic bags, can get tangled around manatees and kill them.

WHAT'S BEING DONE TO HELP OUR MANATEES:-  In addition to the progress already made, many more things need to be done to protect the future of manatees. Many effects of recreation are detrimental to manatees. Boats are the largest killer of manatees, and slow speed limits and other safety regulations should be mandated throughout Florida, not only in the counties with the greatest amount of manatee mortality. When activites expose humans to manatees, the manatees become more inclined to go near people again, which increases their chances of being harmed by boats, pollution, or litter. Any development of marinas or other recreational facilities has the capability of harming manatees. Therefore, water recreation should be regulated and possibly made illegal in areas with large populations of manatees. Some manatee sanctuaries already exist where the manatee population is increasing (Miller et al. 1998). Deferring coastal development from manatee rich areas to manatee poor areas would bring less harm to manatees. Since many manatees rely on the warm water from power plants, the operations of those plants must be monitored so manatees are not stranded without the warm water they need to survive. The state of Florida should shift some economic focus to manatees, and use captive manatees as a tourist attraction to raise money to protect them. One of the most important things to do is educate the public. By implementing school programs and reaching out to the community, citizens will learn more about manatees and be more inclined to protect them.

Manatees are fascinating creatures. The Florida manatee can live in any warm water in and around the state of Florida, yet they are endangered because of an array of human actions. Increasing human awareness of manatees and establishing manatee sanctuaries in warm water and vegetation rich areas, free of human activity, are the best ways to save the manatees. If nothing changes, the future of the Florida manatee is grim, but if changes are made to protect the manatees and reduce mortality, there is hope for the future. Manatees evolved with no natural enemies, so the only thing threatening their survival is humans.

Here are some quick and interesting facts about Manatees!

  • Did  you know that the manatees can hear well even though they do not have external ear lobes?
  • Did you know that manatees have trouble with depth perception?
  • Their colors are usually gray or gray-brown.
  • They are typically about 9-10 feet long  and weigh about 1,000 pounds.
  • Did you know that manatees have three fingernails on each flipper and when they get into shallow water the manatee walks on its nails?
  • Did you know that manatees never stop losing teeth. They grow new teeth in the back of the mouth which  push the teeth in the front of the mouth out?
  • Manatee are related to the elephant.  They have three toes like elephants and have very dense bones with no bone marrow.
  • When the manatee is under water it closes its nostrils and can stay underwater for 10-15 minutes.