Habitats

The gentle, slow-moving Florida manatee has no natural predators. And yet, these charismatic mammals face numerous threats. Manatees are struck by vessels in busy waterways across the state, and a majority bear scars from these collisions. Harmful algal blooms – characterized by the rapid growth of algae that degrades water quality – can impair their nervous systems. With less blubber, or fat, compared with other marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees are vulnerable to cold-stress syndrome during winter months. And they can ingest or get entangled in marine debris like derelict fishing gear and drown or be crushed by floodgate and water control structures. I am a doctoral candidate in marine biology at Florida International University’s Institute of Environment. Over the past 15 years, I have gained extensive experience working with marine mammals, particularly manatees. Recently, my colleagues at the United States Geologi...