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Florida Manatees: Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive

Florida Manatees: Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive. myakkariver.net. Thermal Regulation. All mammals are “warm blooded,” including manatees. Mammals have developed different ways to keep themselves at comfortable temperatures. How do you stay warm in cold weather?

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Florida Manatees: Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive

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  1. Florida Manatees:Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive myakkariver.net

  2. Thermal Regulation • All mammals are “warm blooded,” including manatees. Mammals have developed different ways to keep themselves at comfortable temperatures. • How do you stay warm in cold weather? • How do you stay cool in in the summer? Photo by B. Dunnigan Florida Sea Grant

  3. Temperature Regulation in Aquatic Mammals • Animals that live in water usually spend more energy keeping warm. • Heat loss in water is 27 times more than in air • Can you name some mammals that live in water? Humpback Whale Photo by E. Green Walrus NOAA Photo Gallery Stellar Sea Lion NOAA Photo Gallery

  4. Whales How do these guys stay warm? • http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/gallery.html Thick Blubber Can be > 1 ft thick!!! Circulatory System Food • http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/gallery.html

  5. What is blubber? Which animals have blubber? • Blubber is….. • A thick layer of fat that provides insulation. • It acts like a jacket to keep animals warm. • Which animals do not have blubber? • Manatees • Sea Otters • Whales • Dolphins • Sea Lions • Seals • Walrus • Polar Bears Humpback Whale NOAA Photo Sea Otter Polar Bear NOAA Photo Photo by M. McGuire

  6. What keeps a walrus warm? Lots and Lots of Blubber (1/3 of their body weight!) Move blood away from skin (which helps keep them warm on the inside) “Cuddle” with other walrus (share body heat) http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42706000/jpg/_42706751_3walrus.jpg

  7. These seals are warming up… By laying on the rocks, and in the sun, These sea lions can warm up by getting out of the water. The light colored animals have dried off. Photo by M. McGuire

  8. And these are cooling off… Sea Lions use behavior to help with thermal regulation Photo by M. McGuire By lifting their flippers out of the water, sea lions can cool themselves. Blood in the flippers is right under the skin and cools rapidly in the cold air. Photo by M. McGuire

  9. How about ADORABLE Sea Otters? Like manatees, Sea Otters have no blubber Unlike manatees, Sea Otters have the thickest hair known (>1,000,000 hairs per square inch) Sea Otters have a layer of air that forms a “dry suit” to keep their skin dry and warm when in the water. Photos by M. McGuire

  10. So, How do our manatees stay warm? Blue Springs, FL Orlandosentinal.com

  11. Manatees get cold and can die when water temperatures drop below 68°F • Manatees do not have blubber. • Manatees must migrate to warm water to stay warm in the winter • Mother manatees teach migration routes to their calves • Natural warm water springs (like Blue Spring State Park) are very important to help manatees stay warm. • Some power plants release warm water

  12. What is a Spring? • A fresh water pool flowing from Florida’s Aquifer. • What is the temperature of Blue Spring? • Does the spring change temperature throughout the year? e Photos by M. McGuire

  13. Why are Power Plants Important to Manatees? St. Johns River Power Plant http://www.industcards.com/st-johns-river.jpg

  14. Why are power plants important to manatees? • Manatees migrate to the same place each winter. • Power plants keep water warm throughout the year. • Manatees learn to go to power plants to find warm water, and do not learn to find natural warm water refuges (like Blue Spring State Park). • Old power plants can get shut down, then baby manatees don’t know where to go in the winter to stay warm! Photo by C. Taylor, Wildlife Trust TECO Tampa Electric

  15. Why do manatees need to stay warm? Photo by M. McGuire

  16. Why do manatees migrate into Florida springs each winter? Photo by M. McGuire

  17. Why are power plants NOT a good source of warm water for manatees? Photo by M .McGuire

  18. Review • What are some ways that marine mammals stay warm when the weather is cold? • How are sea otters different from most other marine mammals? • How are manatees different from most other marine mammals? • Where are the best places in Florida to go to look for manatees in the winter?

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