photo by Photo by Ramos Keith, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Latin Name: Trichechus manatus
Species: Mammal
Conservation Status: S2 - Imperiled
The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. They have a round body up to 10 feet long with grey skin and a large, paddle-like tail. They have a pair of pectoral fins but do not have a dorsal fin. Although they are fully aquatic marine mammals, they do not have a blowhole and instead have nostrils at the end of their snout. Since they are slow-moving, they are typically seen with algae growing on their backs.
Range & Habitat (map)
The Florida manatee spends time in shallow coastal water, marshes, and the springs of Florida. In warmer months, their range typically expands from North Carolina to Lousiana. They can sometimes be found further north or west but they always congregate in Florida during the winter.
Diet
The Florida manatee is a herbivore, only eating aquatic plants. They are often found grazing on seagrass beds and can spend up to 8 hours a day doing nothing but grazing. Manatees visiting salt marshes such as the Port Royal Sound eat submerged spartina grass.
Life History
Female manatees reach maturity around 3-5 years old while males do around 5-7. Manatees can breed year-round and may form small mating herds. Gestation time is 13 months and mothers typically only give birth to one calf who will stay with their mother for about 2 years. They often reach over 60 years of age.
Significance
Not only are manatees important to the people who enjoy seeing them in the waters of the Port Royal Sound, thus attracting tourism, but they are also important ecologically. Manatees are grazers of seagrasses and keep beds of submerged vegetation from becoming overgrown.
Threats & How You Can Help
The Florida Manatee is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but is still under constant threat of boat strikes, pollution, and habitat loss. Boat strikes are common as manatees are so slow-moving and frequently rest at the top of the water. Development around the coast has caused an increase in pollution, which may lead to red tides that harm these animals and the destruction of shoreline habitat. To prevent these threats, it is advised to be slow and observant when boating on the waterways and stay in deep channels. It is also important to be conscious of fertilizers that we add to our environment as they will be washed into the waterways and may cause red tides.
Additional Resources
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/laws-policies/marine-mammal-protection-act