Manatee conservation - wikipedia Manatee conservation This individual inspects a kayak situation Manatees are large marine mammals that inhabit slow rivers, canals, saltwater bays, estuaries, and coastal areas. They are a migratory species, inhabiting the Florida waters during the winter and moving as far north as Virginia and as far west as Texas in the warmer summer months. Manatees are calm herbivores that spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and traveling. They have a lifespan of about 60 years with no known natural enemies. Some of their deaths are the result of human activity. In the past, manatees were exploited for their meat, fat, and hides. Contents 1 Sources of danger 2 Becoming endangered / legal protection 3 Organizations 4 References 5 See also Sources of danger Various human activities threaten manatee populations. Fishing nets and lines can cause injuries to manatees that can lead to serious infections. Some manatee deaths are the result of collisions with boats. Additionally, coastal development can affect manatee habitats, both positively and negatively. Manatees tend to gather in the warm water outflows of power plants and springs during cold weather. Becoming Endangered / legal protection Starting in the 18th century when the English declared Florida a manatee sanctuary and made manatee hunting illegal, people have worked to protect this species. In 1893, manatees first received protection under Florida law, and in 1907 this law was revised to impose a fine of $500 and / or six months of jail time for molesting or killing a manatee. In accordance with the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, an act of Congress designed to list endangered animal species and offer them limited protection, the manatee became one of 78 original species listed as being threatened with extinction. There are currently more than 1300 species on this list. On March 11, 1967 federal efforts to protect the manatee began when the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the manatee as endangered. In 1972, the manatee was designated a marine mammal protected under the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. This act prohibited the removal of any marine mammal and imposed a fine of up to $2000 and / or one year in jail for doing so. The Endangered Species Act of 1966 was revised in 1973 and increased federal protection of manatees. The `` act made it a violation to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, capture, or collect an endangered species... authorized cooperative agreements between states and the federal government with funding management, research and law enforcement. '' In 1974 the Sirenia Project was established in Gainesville, Florida to provide manatee documentation and rescue programs. In 1976, Sea World of Florida began a Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Program. The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act passed in 1978, amending the 1907 state law. Florida became an official refuge and sanctuary for the marine mammals, and the regulation of boat speeds in areas of manatee inhabitation became allowed. In that same year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Audubon Society, and Sea World also sponsored the `` West Indian Manatee Workshop '' in which six management recommendations were proposed : regulations to control boaters and divers, land acquisition for refuges, study of potential artificial refuges, explore technological control mechanisms to protect manatees, develop oil spill contingency plans, and increase public education. In 1979, Florida Governor Bob Graham made November Manatee Awareness Month, and the first state - designated protection zones were established. The year 1980 saw Congress allocate $100, 000 to the Marine Mammal Commission and the development of the initial Federal Manatee Recovery Plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1981 Bob Graham and Jimmy Buffett formed the Save the Manatee Committee, the precursor of the Save the Manatee Club, which sought to protect manatees and their habitats. Both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act were reauthorized in 1988 as various new groups, companies, and organizations began to invest time and resources in the protection of the manatee. The early 1990s saw more government money being allocated to the cause, more research being conducted, and more protection plans being implemented. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revised the Manatee Recovery Plan Objectives in 1996 to include the following : assess and minimize causes of manatee mortality and injury, protect essential habitat, determine and monitor the status of the manatee population and essential habitat, coordinate and oversee cooperative recovery work. Throughout the early 2000s ( decade ), various counties in Florida continued to revise and / or create specific conservation plans in conjunction with federal and statewide efforts. As of January 7, 2016, as a result of significant improvements in its population and habitat conditions, and reductions in direct threats, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the West Indian manatee is proposed to be downlisted from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act ( ESA ). The proposal to downlist the manatee to threatened will not affect federal protections currently afforded by the ESA, and the Service remains committed to conservation actions to fully recover manatee populations. The range - wide minimum known population is estimated to be at least 13,000 manatees, with more than 6,300 in Florida. When aerial surveys began in 1991, there were only an estimated 1,267 manatees in Florida, meaning that the last 25 years has seen a 400 percent increase in the species population in that state. Organizations Many institutes help promote awareness of the threats faced by manatees, raise money for manatee research, and generally work to ensure the survival of this endangered species. One of the largest and most influential organizations is the Save the Manatee Club. This non-profit organization was created by Bob Graham and Jimmy Buffett as a means of including the public in manatee conservation. The club sponsors an Adopt - A-Manatee program that uses it funds for `` public awareness and education projects ; manatee research ; rescue and rehabilitation efforts ; and advocacy and legal action in order to ensure better protection for manatees and their habitat. '' It also sponsors various public awareness, education, and volunteer activities. Sirenian International is one and conservation of manatees. The group considers itself a `` partnership of scientists, students, educators, conservationists, and the public '' that sponsors various projects throughout the world. Membership is divided into three groups based upon financial contributions and active service to the organization : participating member, supporting member, and contributing member. SeaWorld of Florida has played a major role in the efforts to protect and conserve the manatees. Sea World has the authority to rescue and rehabilitate manatees, and has had a great deal of success doing so. Evidence of this is shown by the fact that eight manatees were rescued and five were returned to their natural environments by Sea World of Florida 's rescue team in 2007. Additionally, the theme park has an exhibit titled `` Manatees : The Last Generation ? '' aimed at educating guests about the importance of protecting this endangered species. One of the most popular efforts to raise money for manatee research and conservation is the sale of license plates by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The proceeds of these sales make up a large percentage of the funds dedicated to this cause, having raised $34,000,000 since 1990. Money collected from decal sales, boat registration fees, and voluntary donations also contribute to the Save the Manatee Trust Fund. A newly redesigned license plate was released in December 2007. Manatee Appreciation Day is celebrated on the last Wednesday of March in the United States. Florida celebrates Manatee Awareness Month during November, which has been endorsed by comedian Alec Baldwin. References Jump up ^ `` About the Manatees Crystal River, Florida Bird 's Underwater ''. Birds Underwater. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 06. Jump up ^ West Indian Manatee : an Endangered Species. Bagheera : A Website for Earth 's Endangered Animals. 21 November 2008. < http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_manatee.htm >. ^ Jump up to : Manatee Timeline. MyFWC.com : Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 21 November 2008. < http://www.floridaconservation.org/manatee/information/Timeline/1903.htm >. Jump up ^ Native Fish and Wildlife : Endangered Species. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : Endangered Species Program. 21 November 2008 < http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/1966listing.html >. ^ Jump up to : Manatee Timeline. MyFWC.com : Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 21 November 2008. < http://www.floridaconservation.org/manatee/information/Timeline/1903.htm >. Jump up ^ http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?_ID=35428 Retrieved on 1 / 17 / 2016 from USFWS press release Jump up ^ `` Manatee Synoptic Surveys ''. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017. ^ Jump up to : About SMC. Save the Manatee Club. 21 November 2008. < http://www.savethemanatee.org/smchist.htm >. ^ Jump up to : Sirenian International. Sirenian International, Inc. 21 November 2008. < http://www.sirenian.org/aboutSI.html >. Jump up ^ The Florida Manatee. EcoFlorida. 21 November 2008. < http://www.ecofloridamag.com/archived/index.htm >. Jump up ^ Sea World Leads the Way in Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation. OrlandoEscape.com. 21 November 2008. < http://blog.orlandoescape.com/2007/12/sea-world-leads-way-in-manatee-rescue.html >. Jump up ^ Manatee Quick Facts. Sea World Adventure Park. 21 November 2008. < http://www.seaworldadventurepark.info/manatee.php >. ^ Jump up to : Manatee License Plate. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. 21 November 2008. < http://www.floridamarine.org/features/category_sub.asp?id=7426 >. Jump up ^ http://www.savethemanatee.org/news_pr_mam_.htm Jump up ^ `` Alec Baldwin promotes manatee awareness - USATODAY.com ''. www.usatoday.com. See also Manatee Endangered species Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission USS Manatee ( AO - 58 ) Manatee awareness Conservation of species Conservation biology Conservation behavior Conservation dependent species Conservation ethic Conservation genetics Conservation status Ex-situ conservation Extinction threshold In - situ conservation Latent extinction risk Marine conservation Species translocation Threatened species Conservation areas Conservation designation Conservation development Conservation district Conservation easement Ecoregion conservation status Environmental protection Gap analysis Habitat conservation High conservation value area Landscape - scale conservation Marine protected area National conservation area Open space reserve Riparian buffer Roadless area conservation Roadside conservation Site - based conservation Special Area of Conservation Restoration Assisted natural regeneration Ecosystem restoration Island restoration Reforestation afforestation Rewilding By taxa Amphibians and reptiles Birds burrowing owls raptors Insects bumblebees butterflies Land mammals bats bats 2 bears cheetahs cheetahs 2 gorillas painted dogs slow lorises small cats tigers tigers 2 wolves Marine Antarctic seals cetaceans cetaceans 2 manatees migratory sharks salmon sea otters sea turtles sturgeons Plants forests fungi orchids By country Australia Belize Brazil Hong Kong Iceland India Bhopal Ireland Italy New Zealand Papua New Guinea Uganda United Kingdom United States Other Biodiversity Conservation agriculture Conservation finance Conservation grazing Conservation management system Conservation movement Conservation officer Conservation organisations Conservation photography Conservation psychology Conservation refugee Conspicuous conservation De-extinction Myth of superabundance NatureServe conservation status Planetary boundaries Index of conservation articles List of conservation issues Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manatee_conservation&oldid=841432355 '' Categories : Animal welfare and rights in the United States Sirenians Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 15 May 2018, at 20 : 22. 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Question: when were manatees put on the endangered list
Answer: 1966