These large, seal-shaped mammals can reach a length of 4.5 meters and weigh more than 1,000 kilograms. Manatees eat seagrass and other submerged vegetation for 6 to 8 hours a day. The surface layer of their finely wrinkled skin is continually sloughing off, possibly to reduce the build-up of surface algae. The whiskered mammals live in the mouths of jungle rivers, lagoons and bays from Florida to Brazil, including several Caribbean islands. Several natural factors make it hard to sustain a vigorous manatee population.
Manatees reproduce slowly.
They don't successfully breed, usually, until they are seven years old, and females deliver only one calf every three to five years. Manatees are extremely susceptible to cold, and in turn, the cold may make them more susceptible to diseases. During the winter, many manatees move toward sites such as power plants that discharge warm water. Fishers and boaters with outboard motors often move through the manatees' habitat and boat strikes are a leading cause of mortality in Florida and an increasing problem in Belize. Boat operators can slow down.