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GEOGRAPHY

Saving Florida’s Manatees

After years on the rebound, the beloved marine animals are in trouble. Their habitat is under threat, and rescuers are rushing to help.

May 2023

By Lisa M. Herrington

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

On a chilly January morning, dozens of wildlife workers and volunteers dropped heaps of lettuce into Florida’s Indian River Lagoon. The bright-green bunches floated on the water, then were gobbled up.

The leafy greens are part of a feeding program to save manatees—large, plant-eating marine mammals. The seagrass that makes up the bulk of their diet is dying off in Florida waters. Without the hundreds of thousands of pounds of supplemental food this past winter, many manatees would have starved.

Still, nearly 2,000 manatees have died over the past two years, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. About 6,500 to 8,500 manatees remain in the area.

“It’s an emergency situation,” says Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, based in Maitland, Florida. “Without a chance to eat enough food, many literally were dying right and left.”

Rescuers are rallying to help before it’s too late.

It was a chilly January morning. Dozens of wildlife workers and volunteers were dropping heaps of lettuce into Florida’s Indian River Lagoon. The bright-green bunches floated on the water. Then they were gobbled up.

The leafy greens are part of a feeding program to save manatees. Manatees are large, plant-eating marine mammals. Seagrass, which makes up the bulk of their diet, is dying off in Florida waters. Without the hundreds of thousands of pounds of extra food this past winter, many manatees would have starved.

Still, nearly 2,000 manatees have died over the past two years. That is according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. About 6,500 to 8,500 manatees remain in the area.

“It’s an emergency situation,” says Patrick Rose. He is an aquatic biologist. He is also executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, based in Maitland, Florida. “Without a chance to eat enough food, many literally were dying right and left.”

Rescuers are rallying to help before it is too late.

A Shortage of Seagrass

Florida manatees are a subspecies of West Indian manatees. For most of the year, the gentle giants forage for food along the coast of Florida (see map, below). But unlike whales and seals, manatees don’t have blubber to insulate them against cold. So during the winter, they retreat to the state’s inland waterways, which tend to stay warmer.

The manatees gather in warm-water refuges, such as Indian River Lagoon. But in recent years, there hasn’t been enough natural vegetation there to feed them.

Scientists say pollution from decades of development, sewage, and fertilizers has clouded the water and blocked the sunlight that seagrass needs to grow. In Indian River Lagoon alone, about 60 to 80 percent of the seagrass has been lost.

The difference was especially stark in 2021. “When manatees showed up, the seagrasses just weren’t there to sustain the numbers,” says Ragan Whitlock with the Center for Biological Diversity, a group in Florida that works to protect endangered species. And the crisis continues, he adds. “It’s incredibly heartbreaking,” Whitlock says.

Florida manatees are a subspecies of West Indian manatees. For most of the year, the gentle giants forage for food along the coast of Florida (see map, below). But unlike whales and seals, manatees do not have blubber to insulate them against cold. So during the winter, they move to the state’s inland waterways, which usually stay warmer.

The manatees gather in warm-water refuges, such as Indian River Lagoon. But in recent years, there has not been enough natural plant life there to feed them.

Scientists say pollution from decades of development, sewage, and fertilizers has clouded the water. This blocks the sunlight that seagrass needs to grow. In Indian River Lagoon alone, about 60 to 80 percent of the seagrass has been lost.

The difference was especially obvious in 2021. “When manatees showed up, the seagrasses just weren’t there to sustain the numbers,” says Ragan Whitlock. He is with the Center for Biological Diversity, a group in Florida. It works to protect endangered species. And the crisis continues, he adds. “It’s incredibly heartbreaking,” Whitlock says.

Manatees at Risk

This isn’t the first time that manatees have been in trouble. Nicknamed sea cows for their underwater grazing, manatees have long faced threats from human activity, such as habitat loss and collisions with boats.

In the 1970s, their population dwindled to fewer than 1,000, and they were added to the endangered species list. Safeguards were put in place to restore their habitat, including limiting boat speeds. The changes provided the slow-moving creatures with protected areas where their population could grow.

All that made a difference: By 2016, more than 7,500 manatees were estimated to be in Florida. “There was tremendous progress for many decades,” explains Rose.

The increase in numbers led federal officials to downgrade the animal’s classification from endangered to threatened in 2017.

Manatees are nicknamed sea cows for their underwater grazing. This is not the first time that the animals have been in trouble. Manatees have long faced threats from human activity, such as habitat loss and collisions with boats.

In the 1970s, their population dwindled to fewer than 1,000. They were added to the endangered species list. Safeguards were put in place to restore their habitat, including limiting boat speeds. The changes provided the slow-moving creatures with protected areas where their population could grow.

All that made a difference. By 2016, more than 7,500 manatees were estimated to be in Florida. “There was tremendous progress for many decades,” explains Rose.

The increase in numbers led federal officials to downgrade the animal’s classification from endangered to threatened in 2017.

A Wake-up Call

Pascal Kobeh/NPL/Minden Pictures

Manatees gather in a natural spring in western Florida.

Now, because of the large die-off, several environmental groups, including the Save the Manatee Club, are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relist the manatee as endangered. The state of Florida is also investing millions of dollars to restore the animals’ habitat, including the seagrass.

In the meantime, rescue workers continue to care for sick and malnourished manatees. About 160 manatees have been nursed back to health at rehabilitation facilities over the past two years, with many returned to their habitat, says Rose. And, if needed, the Indian River Lagoon feeding program will continue next winter.

Still, wildlife officials caution such efforts are just a short-term solution. The focus, they say, needs to be on passing tougher rules to clean up the water so the seagrass can return.

“We all love and appreciate this iconic species,” says Whitlock. “I think the history of manatee recovery has proven that we can bring them back.”

Now there is a large die-off. So several environmental groups, including the Save the Manatee Club, are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relist the manatee as endangered. The state of Florida is also investing millions of dollars to restore the animals’ habitat, including the seagrass.

In the meantime, rescue workers continue to care for sick and malnourished manatees. About 160 manatees have been nursed back to health at rehabilitation centers over the past two years. Many manatees then returned to their habitat, says Rose. And the Indian River Lagoon feeding program will continue next winter, if needed.

Still, wildlife officials warn that such efforts are just a short-term solution. They say the focus needs to be on passing tougher rules to clean up the water so the seagrass can return.

“We all love and appreciate this iconic species,” says Whitlock. “I think the history of manatee recovery has proven that we can bring them back.”

Manatees on the Move

Habitat maps, like this one, show where animals naturally live. This map highlights the Florida manatees’ range. It also shows the critical habitat they need to survive, including their inland gathering sites. The inset map shows their range along the U.S. coast. Use the maps to answer the questions.

^{SOURCES: Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; International Union for Conservation of Nature}

SKILL SPOTLIGHT: Using a Habitat Map

1. What color is used to show the manatee critical habitat?

2. What does the teal area along the coast represent?

3. In which body of water are emergency feeding efforts taking place?

4. How many manatee gathering sites are within 25 miles of Fort Myers?

5. Which labeled lake is part of the manatee critical habitat?

6. In which direction would manatees swim to go from that lake to the St. John’s River?

7. According to the inset map, manatees may swim as far west as which state?

8. Which labeled city in the manatee range is farthest south?

9. About how many straight-line miles separate that city and West Palm Beach?

10. To go from Kings Bay to Tampa Bay, in which direction would a manatee need to swim?

Manatees on the Move

^{SOURCES: Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; International Union for Conservation of Nature}

SKILL SPOTLIGHT: Using a Habitat Map