Trends In Manatee Mortality

Overfishing is a death sentence to the world’s oceans. As technology continues to improve a great deal of fish can be caught quicker; but at what cost? The effects of overfishing can lead to the extinction of not just the animals being fished, but also the predators that rely on fish to eat. Ninety percent of the ocean’s largest animals have been wiped out due to overfishing (“Overfishing- A Global Disaster”, 2011). National Geographic cites the academic journal Science (2006) that predicts by 2048, all fisheries will collapse due to lack of ocean wildlife. Fish are not the only animal caught in the nets used by fishing vessels. Often animals such as dolphins, sharks, turtles, and seabirds are

"There is proof that the manatees were around for about 60 million years and that they were related to the elephant. It was also learned that they were land animals and that over time they learned to survive in the water".

Manatees have been protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act since 1978 (Spivey). This act prohibits annoying, molesting, harassing, or disturbing any manatee to be found in or near the state. It also specifies that anyone who tries to kill, hunt, pursue, or capture a manatee would have serious repercussions. Even with all these laws there is still a growing number of manatee deaths throughout the state. When manatees were put on the endangered species list in 1973 they were also put under the protection of the endangered species organization. This organization has enforced four laws so far to protect manatees from future harm (Swart). This entitles the manatee population to a number of new laws and requirements put on the state of Florida to protect them . For manatees this included new speed zones for boats and different water pollution regulations put into place at all bays where manatees are known to be. These things caused the number of injured manatees to go down for a few years but since then the numbers have slowly climbed back up to where they were before. The rules and regulations put in place by both the state of Florida and the endangered species organization did the trick for a while but the follow through on most of them was gone away causing them to no longer be of any help to the manatee

This exceptionally charismatic megafauna has become synonymous with Florida along with “snowbirds”, orange juice, and Mickey Mouse but the Florida manatee may not be as permanent as its counterparts. Since being declared as endangered, the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, has been at the center of conservation efforts throughout the east coast of the United States. While human involvement has been at the crux of the increasing population, it can be argued that the best way to save this species is by taking humans out of the picture altogether.

Harassment is any activity that decreases a manatee’s fitness, most commonly recognized by a change in behavior.1 Many previous studies have provided extensive evidence of harassment, and unanimously support a positive correlation between the number of people and increased manatee activity as well as the use of protected areas, making a sound argument for the need for increased regulation and prohibited activities in the springs.4, 5 However, there is a predominant research gap in providing compelling data that human interactions have a deleterious impact on the fitness of manatees.1

Upon coming into contact with a manatee, the powerboat produces many complications. When manatees are struck by powerboats the damage that is done runs deeper than just the injury that the eye can see. Lacerations caused by boat propellers can kill the manatee, however, what most do not realize is that a laceration from a propeller can also seriously affect the manatee long term. One collision with a powerboat could possibly destroy the opportunity the manatee had to reproduce (Reynolds 25). Alongside of these two factors, is the deadly bacteria that the open wound on the manatee is introduced to.

The government has listed the manatee as “endangered” since 1972. When animals are listed as endangered, laws must be made to protect them.

the manatee is an obvious disadvantage. A fast oncoming boat may not be seen by

The Everglades is known for its wonderful plants, birds, and reptiles, but what if those magnificent, beautiful things were gone forever. An Endangered is a species that is, or soon may be, in danger of being gone. A threatened species is a species that is very likely to become endangered in the near future unless the species or where it lives is fully protected for its survival. Eight million people and countless species of animals that call the Everglades home. Everglades contains many endangered species including the Florida Leafwing Butterfly, Green Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, and the Miami Blue Butterfly. The manatee is even federally listed as endangered. They are trying to make laws and develop projects to protect the Everglades Endangered

I will be doing my protection Plan project on the Florida Manatees. I chose this species because a lot of manatees are dying because of threats like ''collision with watercraft'' the propellers on the boat inflict serious and fatal wounds to the manatee, most manatees have scars on their bodies because of ''Collision with watercraft''. Another threat to manatees is habitat loss. Habitat loss is the ''greatest-long-term'' threat to manatees. It is also the most common cause of their death.

Abstract: Fishing for Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) was banned in United States waters in 1990 after a noted dramatic decline in population numbers. After eighteen years of protection, the species is reportedly showing signs of recovery along the west coast of Florida, with increasing accounts of underwater sightings and capture on hook and line. These sightings have increased a desire to reopen the Goliath grouper harvesting ban. These species are commercially valuable and are historically and currently overfished by both recreational and commercial fishers, whether intentionally or as bycatch. They are also vulnerable to habitat loss. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) characterizes grouper as a particularly vulnerable group of fishes for extinction.

The manatee does have some natural enemies though to worry about when they are in the water. Most of the time it is the young and the weak that are the most vulnerable to such predators though. They include crocodiles, alligators and sharks. What predators they have to worry about depends on the location where they live.

Manatees are herbivores and therefore consume a wide variety of aquatic vegetation. Within a manatee’s large intestine exists a microbial environment that helps manatees to be able to digest large amounts of plant material. A manatee can consume 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation daily. On average manatees can weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds. Therefore, a manatee can consume about 80 to 180 pounds of vegetation per day! Manatees mostly graze upon submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), emergent and floating vegetation, but manatees have also been spotted feeding on the leaves from overhanging branches, like that of a mangrove tree. Manatees also consume various species of algae found on surfaces such as rocks or boat docks. Additionally,

Many people don’t notice that sea lions are starting to die out. But why? Why are sea lions starting to die out? Two reasons, poison in algae and the ocean not providing enough food for sea lions.

Digest of federal resource laws of interest to the U.S. fish and wildlife service. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/FISHCON.HTML