Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

T MANATEES
he Florida manatee, designated
the state marine mammal in
1975, is among the states
most popular native animals.
northeastern South America.
Manatees inhabit coastal waters, Floridas Gentle Giants
The Florida manatee (Trichechus
estuaries, tidal creeks and
freshwater systems of Florida
and occasionally other southeastern states. A listed
species under the federal Endangered Species Act and
state Imperiled Species List, the manatees health and
survival is threatened by human-related impacts such
as habitat loss and boat strikes, as well as natural
events such as cold snaps and red tide. Government
agencies and private organizations conduct research
to help inform conservation actions needed to protect
these unique animals.
Manatees are Native to Florida
Manatees belong to the unique order of mammals
known as Sirenia. The Caribbean and western
Atlantic Ocean has been home to Sirenians for
millions of years and is the only region on Earth
continuously inhabited by the Sirenia since the
Eocene (~5634 million years ago). Furthermore,
experts report that the greatest known diversity
of sirenians also occurred in this region over
the last 50 million years. Today, the West Indian
manatee is split into two subspecies. The Antillean
manatee (Trichechus manatus
manatus) is found in the
Caribbean, Central America, and
manatus latirostris) occupies the
northern part of the species
range in the southeastern United States.
Habitat and Range
The Florida manatee is found throughout Floridas
rivers, estuaries and bays, in both fresh and salt
water. Manatees are typically quite mobile, migrating
seasonally over extensive geographic areas. Tracking
studies have shown variation in seasonal movement
patterns, with some individuals migrating hundreds
of miles at typical rates of 20 miles a day; whereas
others remain in one area year-round. Manatees are
remarkable navigators and return annually to the
same winter sites. Most animals stay within the
nearshore areas of peninsular Florida, but some
travel as far as Louisiana and North Carolina. There
have been notable exceptions, however. A few
individuals have traveled as far north as Cape Cod,
Massachusetts; as far west as Corpus Christi, Texas;
and as far inland as Memphis, Tennessee, via the
Mississippi River. Florida manatees have even been
sighted in Cuba and the Bahamas!

Common name Florida manatee

Scientific name Trichechus manatus latirostris
Estimated population The estimate of abundance for the period 2011 and 2012 with 95%
confidence (CI) was 6,350 (95% 5,3107,390)
Range Found throughout rivers, springs and shallow coastal waters of
Florida and adjacent states
Population status Federally listed under Endangered Species Act, considered depleted
under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.
 Manatees are mammals and therefore are warm
blooded, but their metabolic rate is exceptionally low;
and although they look fat, they do not have much of
an insulating layer. These factors make them sensitive
to cold, so animals must seek warm water during
winter. A system of warm-water refuges, including
natural springs, power-plant outflows and passive
thermal basins provide havens in cold weather. Some
of these sites attract hundreds of animals in the
winter. Establishing a reliable network of warm-water
refuges that include adequate food resources near
winter aggregations is critical in order to sustain a
healthy manatee population.
Description
Appearance
Adult manatees vary from grey to brown, but
newborns are usually darker grey. At birth, manatee
calves weigh 50-70 pounds and are 3-4 feet long.
Adults are typically about 9-10 feet long and weigh
around 1,100 pounds. Some reach 13 feet long and
weigh up to 2,600 pounds. Manatees have a wide,
paddle-shaped tail to propel themselves through the
water. Their two flippers, each with three or four
fingernails, are used to steer and bring food to their
mouths.
Senses
Manatee skin is thick and rough, finely wrinkled and
covered in sparse hairs that act as sensors, similar to
whiskers found on the faces of cats, dogs, mice,
walrus and many other mammals. A concentration of
these stiff bristle-like hairs, or vibrissae, also grow on
the manatees prehensile lips and snout, acting as
sensors to help bring vegetation to their mouths.
Manatee eyes are small and located near the
sides of the head. They have circular eyelids, and an
inner membrane can be closed over the cornea for
protection. Studies indicate that although manatees
vision is not sharp, they can see in both dim and
bright light (an adaptation to turbid waters) and can
distinguish colors, shapes and patterns and likely are
well-suited at finding patches of aquatic vegetation at
intermediate to longer ranges.
Manatees do not have external ears; their ear
openings are located just behind the eyes and are
very small and difficult to see. Nevertheless, manatees
FWC photo. Activities were conducted under USFWS permit
#MA773494.
can hear quite well, and research suggests they have
a good ability to localize sound. Sound provides an
important means for communication: manatees
produce a variety of squeaks, squeals and chirps.
Though manatees are often quiet, mother-calf pairs
communicate frequently in a duet of sounds.
Manatee teeth are continually replaced throughout
the animals lifetimea necessary adaptation
because the manatees diet of plants often contains
abrasive sand. As older molars at the front of the jaw
wear down and fall out, new molars move forward
from the rear to replace them. Therefore, the
manatees teethunlike those of most other
mammalsdo not give scientists any clues about the
animals age. Instead, researchers count annual
growth rings in the ear bones of manatee carcasses
to help determine their age.
Breathing
Like all mammals, manatees are air-breathers. They
typically surface approximately every five minutes,
but they can hold their breath up to 20 minutes while
resting. This ability is due to the length of their lungs,
which in adults can be three feet or more, and their
low metabolic rate. Their nostrils, located atop the
snout, have valves that close when the manatee is
underwater. Manatees often rest for several hours at
a time, lying just below the waters surface or on the
bottom and moving only when they need to surface
to take a breath. Interestingly, manatee mothers and
their calves typically breathe in unison.

Reproduction and Life Expectancy
Manatees usually reach sexual maturity at
approximately five years of age, and the female can
give birth every 2.5-5 years. Gestation lasts 12-14
months, usually producing one calf, although twins
rarely occur. Calves stay with their mothers 1 to
2 years. The species low reproductive rate
constrains the speed of population recovery.
Manatees may live 60 years or more, however this is
not typical. For manatees that reach adulthood,
about half are expected to survive at least into their
late 20s, given current levels of mortality. A manatee
named Snooty was born in captivity in 1948 and
currently lives at the South Florida Museum in
Bradenton.
Diet
Manatees are aquatic herbivores, eating over 60
species of freshwater and marine vegetation which
leaves us to think that they are not picky eaters!
Seagrass is a dietary staple and manatees are often
seen grazing in seagrass beds. Intentionally feeding
manatees is illegal and can attract them to boats
and their propellers or cause them to lose their fear
of people. Manatees do seek freshwater sources
and are often seen drinking from creeks or industrial
and other drainage outflows. Intentionally providing
water to manatees is discouraged because it too can
draw them to areas of high boat traffic and human
activity.
Behavior
A manatee calf will stay close to its mother during
the first years while it is nursing and learning where
to find important feeding, resting and protective
winter habitat areas. With the exception of the
mother-calf associations and winter aggregations,
manatees have been described as semi-social,
forming generally transient associations. For
instance, by radio-tagging manatees we know that
they may appear in a small group and then months
later reappear with some of the same individuals.
During the warm season (March/April October/
November), manatees disperse throughout coastal
waters, estuaries and major rivers of Florida and
some migrate to other states. A wide variety of
behavior has been observed through individually
tracked manatees. Manatees may typically spend
several hours a day feeding, but during prolonged
cold weather some may opt to stay in warm water
and forego food for several days at a time. As
aquatic herbivores, manatees spend large amounts
of time traveling, feeding and resting in a variety of
shallow-water habitats often in close proximity with
the activities of people.
Conservation
Manatees are protected by regulations enacted and
enforced by federal, state, and local governments.
They are protected by the federal Endangered Species
Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The
State of Florida enacted protective measures in 1893
and enhanced those protections with the Florida
Manatee Sanctuary Act in 1978. Initially in 2007,
Florida adopted the Manatee Management Plan,
which gives an overview of conservation and
protection programs, initiatives, strategies, and
provides a framework for conserving and managing
Floridas manatees. Managers use various methods
of protecting manatees, including slow-speed zones
in known manatee habitat and travel corridors, and
have established restricted or prohibited-entry
sanctuaries. Restoration and enhancement of Florida
springs is another important conservation effort
underway.
Threats
Human-related
Historically, manatees were hunted for meat, hides,
bones, and fatfirst by Native Americans, then by
early European settlers. Hunting was outlawed in
1893 and no longer threatens the Florida manatee
population, but humans affect them in other ways.
As Floridas human population increases, more
people are sharing the waterways where manatees
live; Florida has close to one million registered boats
and many boating visitors. The Florida manatee is
directly impacted by human activities, including
collisions with watercrafts and long-term loss of
warm-water habitat. Other threats include crushing
in water control structures and interaction with
fishing gear such as monofilament fishing line, crab-
trap lines, and other similar hazards and debris.

Natural
When water temperatures drop below 68F, manatees
that have not moved to warmer water may begin to
show symptoms of cold stress. Cold stress is a
syndrome characterized by emaciation, skin sores
and infections. In the very cold winter of 2010, more
than 250 manatees were rescued or died from cold
stress. Many more were suspected to have died from
the cold, but cause of death could not be determined
in all cases due to decomposition. Each winter, even
when the weather is mild, small numbers of manatees
die from the effects of cold. This number would
increase if the power plants on which many manatees
rely for warm water are eventually decommissioned
and if Floridas springs are not adequately protected.
Because of this, protecting a network of warm-water
refuges is a key management objective.
Florida red tide is a concentrated bloom of Karenia
brevis, a microscopic marine alga that produces
brevetoxin, a potent neurotoxin. Manatees can
become ill or even die when they eat brevetoxin
contaminated seagrass. Red tide can cause marine
mammal strandings, bird and aquatic animal deaths
including fish kills. In humans, the toxin can cause
Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning from eating shellfish
that feed on K. brevis and allergy-like symptoms from
inhaling toxins aerosolized in sea spray.
Research
Through effective research, timely information is
provided to conservation managers in order to support
sound plans and decisions that will protect manatees.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) and its partner organizations are
federally permitted to conduct research on manatees.
FWCs comprehensive manatee research and
monitoring activities focus on population assessments
including abundance estimation; survival rate
estimation from photo-identification and genetics;
habitat use; health and mortality factors; and
evaluating impacts of human activities on manatees
and their habitats.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 8th Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 896-8626 MyFWC.com/Research
Rescue and Rehabilitation
The State of Florida and federally-authorized partners
rescue injured and sick manatees to rehabilitate and
release them into their native waters as soon as
possible. Federally-permitted oceanaria serve as
critical-care facilities where experts treat wounded or
ill manatees and provide the best care possible. If you
see a distressed or dead manatee please report it by
calling FWCs wildlife alert toll-free number 1-888
404-FWCC (3922). Cellular phone customers: *FWC
or #FWC.
Please be prepared to answer the following questions:
What is the exact location of the animal? Is there
any land access close by, and if so, is this private
property?
Is the manatee alive or dead?
How long have you been observing the manatee?
What is the approximate size of the manatee?
Can you provide a contact number where you can
be reached for further information?
The above information is the most important you can
provide; however, any additional information will be
helpful.
Conclusion
As Floridas human population grows, saving room
for manatees will require a strong continuous
commitment by Floridas residents and visitors to
protect existing habitats and reduce the number of
injuries or deaths caused by watercraft collisions.
Over the years, Floridians have repeatedly expressed
their support for this gentle giant. A license plate
enacted in 1990 that features the manatee is a critical
funding source needed to support priority manatee
conservation work. The revenues generated by its
sale have provided much-needed dollars for manatee
research, rescues, conservation, and environmental
education. With continued public support, manatees
will remain a unique and treasured part of Florida.
March 2016