page_title: West Indian manatee
section_title: T. m. latirostris (Florida manatee)
hierarchical_section_title: West Indian manatee / Threats and conservation / T. m. latirostris (Florida manatee)
caption_attribution_description: English: West Indian manatee skeletons on display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina.
context_page_description: The West Indian Manatee or "sea cow", also known as North American manatee, is the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia. It is further divided into two subspecies, the Florida manatee and the Antillean or Caribbean manatee, based on genetic and morphological studies. The Florida subspecies is primarily found along the coasts of Florida, but its range extends as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts. The Antillean subspecies has a sparse distribution throughout the Caribbean, ranging as far north as Mexico and as far south as Brazil.
  Manatees are obligate herbivores, have developed vocal communication abilities, and are covered in highly sensitive vibrissae that are used for feeding and navigation. In breeding season, several males form mating herds around an individual female; on average, one calf is born to a female manatee every two to three years.
context_section_description: A 1997 population viability analysis of the Florida manatee projected a 44% chance of extinction within the next 1,000 years without improvements in habitat conditions and new protective regulations. Since then, prospects for the subspecies have improved. In 2016, the US Geological Survey collaborated with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service to re-evaluate the status of the Florida manatee under the Core Biological Model, which is used to estimate population viability. This assessment analyzed total population on the east and west coasts of Florida and estimated that the likelihood of either population falling under 500 adults within 100 years was about 0.42%. The projected improvement of population numbers and stability is contingent on continued intervention and monitoring efforts.
  At least 35% of Florida manatee deaths are estimated to result from watercraft collisions. Manatees respond to approaching vessels by orienting towards deeper waters and increasing their speed, but they are nevertheless frequently struck due to their large size and sluggishness.  Aerial surveys of Florida manatee and boat distribution have been conducted to map the areas in which collisions are most likely to occur, accounting for environmental and seasonal factors. Watercraft can frequently avoid hitting manatees simply by reducing speed, allowing time for the manatee to escape out of range. Despite improvements in modeling and changes to local regulations, a 2017 report found that 104 manatees were killed by collisions with watercraft in the previous year, one of the highest totals on record.
  Projected long-term loss of warm-water habitats presents a significant risk to manatees, who are unable to tolerate temperatures lower than 20 °C (68 °F). Florida manatees frequently congregate around the warm discharge given off by power plants throughout the winter months; however, as older plants are replaced with more energy-efficient structures, manatees could become at risk of cold-induced death due to reduced availability of warm-water refuges. Manatees can recall previous refuge sites and frequently return to them in successive winters, but some conservationists fear that manatees may become overly reliant on warm-water locations generated by power plants that may shut down soon. In areas where manatees lack access to power plants or natural warm springs, they instead seek out natural deep water zones that passively remain above tolerable temperatures.
  Red tide is a common name for algal blooms, deriving its distinctive color from pigmentation molecules in the algae. The blooms produce brevetoxins which are potentially fatal to marine life. Most manatee deaths from red tide occur when manatees ingest the red tide alongside seagrass, their primary food source. Red tide blooms and related manatee mortality tend to co-occur during the spring.
caption: West Indian manatee skeletons on display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina
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