The Florida Manatee by Ryan O'Neill

The Florida Manatee

By: Ryan O'Neill

           When I was a kid my family took a trip to the Key West in Florida.  All that me and my brothers wanted to do was surf on the awesome, coconut filled beaches.  After hours upon hours spent in the water, we started to see dark spots in the water that we immediately thought were sharks.  However, once we sped out of the water and asked the locals on the shore what they were, they told us not to worry, and they were just lovable manatees.  When we got home to California we decided to go to Sea World to see what we were in the water with.  After learning about these awesome animals, my heart melted after hearing about the danger they have been in.

What Are They?

            Manatees are massive animals with dark grey and wrinkled skin.  they have paddle-like forelimbs and a horizontally flattened tail.  Adults average about 9.8 ft. in length and typically weigh 2,200 lbs.  Manatees occur primarily in Florida and Georgia, but individuals can range as far north as Rhode Island.  Florida manatees have a low level of genetic diversity.  The record indicates that manatees probably are almost as geographically widespread today as they were historically; however, today they appear to be less abundant in many regions.

What is Their Listing?

           
 Manatees were listed as endangered in 1967 and received federal protection with the passage of the ESA in 1973.  However their recovery plan was updated in 2001.  When they were listed, a critical habitat was designated in Florida.  This was one of the first ESA designations of critical habitat for an endangered species and the first for an endangered marine mammal.

Why Are They Endangered?

            Manatees became endangered as they were hunted by pre-Columbian societies for reasons that are still unclear.  After Spanish occupation, Florida’s human population increased, and manatees were taken in greater numbers.  Also, Commercial and subsistence hunting, particularly in the 1800s, ended up reducing the population significantly.  In 1893, the State of Florida passed legislation prohibiting the killing of manatees.  Today manatees face many threats.  Collisions with watercraft account for an average of 24 percent of known manatee deaths in Florida. Also, deaths because of water control structures and navigational locks represent 4% of known deaths. The future of the current system of warm-water refuges for manatees is uncertain as deregulation of the power industry in Florida occurs, and if minimum flows and levels are not established and maintained for the natural springs on which many manatees depend, could significantly impact their population and habitat.  There are also threats to habitat caused by coastal development throughout Florida.  There are also threats from natural events such as red tide and cold events.

How They Can Be Recovered?

            In order to remove the Florida manatee from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (delisting).  We need to  Reduce or remove threats to the manatee habitat, as well as remove threats from manmade influences by implementing federal, state or local regulations that maintain spring flows, such as protecting warm-water refuge sites.  Also, it is essential to reduce or remove unauthorized human caused “take.”  If this were to occur over time, the qualifications for delisting will be: achieving certain population standards in each of the four regions 10 years after reclassification: statistics confirming that the adult survival rate is 90% or greater, and proof that annual rate of population growth is equal to or greater than zero.

Sites/ How You Can Get Involved

FLORIDA MANATEE RECOVERY PLAN: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html

http://www.defenders.org/florida-manatee/how-you-can-help

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/endangered_species/tips/help_manatees.html

http://www.savethemanatee.org/whatyou.htm

http://www.savethemanatee.org/action.htm