Florida Manatee - Marine Mammal Commission
WEBThe Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is a large, slow-moving marine mammal with an elongated, round body and paddle-shaped flippers and tail. Manatees are herbivores, feeding solely on seagrass, algae and other vegetation in freshwater and estuarine systems in the southeastern United States.
Manatees and Warm-Water Refuges - Marine Mammal Commission
WEBSep 21, 2011 · Manatees and Warm-Water Refuges. To change the status of Florida manatees under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) must assess the severity of existing and foreseeable threats to their survival.
WEBJOHN E. REYNOLDS, III. Mote Marine Laboratory Sarasota, Florida, USA. Most Florida manatees depend on localized warm-water refuges in the southern two-thirds of Florida to survive winter; about 60% use outfalls from 10 power plants, whereas 15% use 4 natural warm-water springs.
Listing Status of West Indian Manatees - Marine Mammal …
WEBApr 5, 2017 · The 2006 review concluded that both Florida manatees and Antillean manatees (the other subspecies of West Indian Manatee) were stable or increasing throughout most of their ranges. FWS staff therefore recommended that the species as a whole, including Florida manatees, be down-listed from endangered to threatened.
Manatee Harassment - Marine Mammal Commission
WEBDec 30, 2014 · Manatee Harassment. Instances of manatee harassment have been a particular problem in Kings Bay, where multiple warm-water springs form a mile wide body of warm clear water that attracts hundreds of manatees each winter.
WEBFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute May 7, 2015 MMP Goal - “effectively manage the (manatee) population in perpetuity throughout Florida by securing habitat and minimizing threats”
WEBdemographic status of Florida manatees has increased • Estimates of survival rate have increased (and become more precise) • Estimates of carrying capacity have increased • Estimates of the current population size have increased Forecasting But the status of manatees also depends on our inferences about future trends
About the Commission - Marine Mammal Commission
WEBFlorida manatee. (NOAA) Collaboration regularly involves support and coordination on basic research. Through our grants and research program, we seek to identify key research priorities and help coordinate this work to eliminate duplication and ensure effective use of scarce research funds. We also work to ensure that scientific results are ...
WEBThe endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Florida state law (USFWS 2001). Limitations on the range of the manatee are largely determined by water temperature, and manatees are essentially confined to the waters of peninsular Florida
WEBwatercraft-related manatee deaths are most common. Although slower speeds may reduce injuries by reducing the force of collision impacts, the principal objective of speed restrictions has been to allow manatees more time to detect and avoid oncoming boats. Efforts to establish speed zones began in earnest in 1989 when the Florida Governor