The Florida Manatee All about Sea Cows Jim DePalo

1. The Florida Manatee All about Sea Cows Jim DePalo Environmental Biology: Ecosystems of Southwest Florida BSC 1051C Fall 2010 Neil Wilkinson, Instructor What is a Manatee? The Florida Manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian Manatee which also is the descendent of the Amazonian Manatee. The Florida Manatee is about 3 meters long, weighs from 800-1400 lbs, and usually is fashioned in a gray or brown. Usually found along the costal waters of the Florida Peninsula, Manatees have also been found in shallow rivers and estuaries. They are held to warm tropical climates due to the thin layer of insulating body fat which most sea mammals in the same class have an abundance of. The Florida Manatee is the largest of all living Sirenians. They are extremely agile in water and pose as herbivores, eating sea grasses, plants, leaves and other underwater vegetation. They are opportunistic feeders and are not territorial at all. Breeding usually occurs in females as early as four years, usually from 7 years to 9 years, and pregnancies last from 12-14 months. They reproduce most of their lives. Normally only one calf is born at a time but females usually reproduce 5 to 7 offspring throughout their entire lives. Post birth, mother and calf usually remain together for 2 years with no parental care from the father. The Florida Manatee has been recorded to live up to 60 years old in the wild. They have been given such nicknames as the “sea cow” and the “gentle giants”. Conservation Efforts for the Florida Manatee The first effort to protect the Florida Manatee was put in action in 1893 and today they are now protected by such acts as the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (State), the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act (Federal). Efforts to save the Florida Manatee have been focused on by many local and state commissions in Florida. They consist of: The Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC): Helps protect and conserve the Florida Manatee and its habitat through the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation which includes the Imperiled Species Management Section (ISM) and the Aquatic Habitat Conservation & Restoration Section. Also the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) and the Division of Law Enforcement (LE) help protection efforts with the FWC. The Imperiled Species Management Section staff conducts extensive research and reviews Manatee Protection Plans, environmental resource permits and some other types of planning documents like comprehensive plans. They also deal with boating speed regulations in certain marine zones and promote ideas for the FWC in order to protect the mammals from the danger of aquatic vehicles. (What specific role should nations, organizations, businesses, and individuals do to help solve this issue? What current efforts are underway to conserve this species or solve this issue? Delete this text.) Ecological Dimensions (A summary of what you have learned from your research. Be sure to include population information, ecological niche, habitat description, keystone or indicator species (and why), and any other related ecological concepts from the text like symbiotic relationships, predator – prey relationships, range maps, etc. Include relevant, current (last 3 years) research being done on this species). Make this very interesting, not superficial information but very interesting information about your species or issue. Delete this text) Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Sirenia Family: Trichechidae Genus: Trichechus Species: T. manatus References TEXT “What is a manatee?”-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indian_Manatee Quote- http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/manatee/ PHOTO Center:http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.boats-florida.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/manatee.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.boats-florida.com/articles/boating-tips-and-advices/boating-in-floridas-manatee-protection-zones/&usg=__iJip6hcQSIXSgXzswxTPhwP_hTo=&h=426&w=300&sz=29&hl=en&start=0&sig2=dz98k3Hz2PXzlgO44CkjpQ&zoom=1&tbnid=HIr-xnrgJkm_5M:&tbnh=153&tbnw=116&ei=AGzlTObpNYGisQPB6eWwCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflorida%2Bmanatee%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1R2ADBF_en%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D638%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=925&oei=AGzlTObpNYGisQPB6eWwCw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=62&ty=89 Bottom left: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.backgroundpictures.org/p/animal/west_indian_manatee_and_nursing_calf_crystal_river_florida.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.backgroundpictures.org/p/animal/page-5.html&usg=__sMqAM-7C5ea3HD9SXkxFNMo5Xuo=&h=1200&w=1600&sz=472&hl=en&start=0&sig2=0ozAx_cnLoSXvEaSfCdmkw&zoom=1&tbnid=GMu29d4WIxdSPM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=170&ei=jm3lTLLnHJPCsAOSi92wCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflorida%2Bmanatee%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG%26rlz%3D1R2ADBF_en%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D638%26as_st%3Dy%26tbs%3Disch:1,isz:l&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=278&oei=jm3lTLLnHJPCsAOSi92wCw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&tx=56&ty=25 Left of Classification: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://vintagemetalart.com/shop/images/florida_manatee.gif&imgrefurl=http://vintagemetalart.com/shop/index.php%3FcPath%3D27%26osCsid%3Djzjjsatort&usg=__Faii6Df2Z1ZBxAza4nEyrz4pfCg=&h=456&w=569&sz=37&hl=en&start=21&sig2=9TzXWMVpBnamp88bjZ0JHQ&zoom=1&tbnid=JCnUe1wYnoczzM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=168&ei=pending&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflorida%2Bmanatee%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1R2ADBF_en%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D638%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C712&um=1&itbs=1&biw=1436&bih=638&iact=rc&dur=154&oei=AGzlTObpNYGisQPB6eWwCw&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:20,s:21&tx=99&ty=85 Right of Classification: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/icholakov/icholakov0709/icholakov070900388/1768459-warning-sign-to-protect-florida-manatees.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.123rf.com/photo_1768459_warning-sign-to-protect-florida-manatees.html&usg=__2QP2LFMcTgJZl4aHpnT6YYPeOtQ=&h=400&w=359&sz=24&hl=en&start=158&sig2=wgP264GGG0qnop0YtMaiOw&zoom=1&tbnid=Y9KqZj4kMG_G_M:&tbnh=152&tbnw=136&ei=3mzlTKqoKYKnnAf94YjrDQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflorida%2Bmanatee%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1R2ADBF_en%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D638%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=456&oei=AGzlTObpNYGisQPB6eWwCw&esq=8&page=9&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:158&tx=36&ty=121 Top Right: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://members.atlantic.net/~scoop10/FWC.gif&imgrefurl=http://members.atlantic.net/~scoop10/NASP%2520Photos%25202008%2520Virtual%2520Tournament.htm&usg=__KkL6ot7jA0zrirLOnfvlJBC6MjU=&h=600&w=500&sz=131&hl=en&start=0&sig2=LN6C9QWY0hcisf4dGBl9Tw&zoom=1&tbnid=4X9gLnyUlIJoRM:&tbnh=151&tbnw=126&ei=gG_lTLTvPIL6swOw0vGwCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfwc%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1R2ADBF_en%26biw%3D1419%26bih%3D638%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=120&oei=gG_lTLTvPIL6swOw0vGwCw&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=67&ty=71 “A full grown Manatee, which can weigh more than 1000 lbs, looks like the result of a genetic experiment involving a walrus and the Goodyear blimp” - Dave Barry 1947 (American writer/ Humorist)