Manatees face significant challenges, including:
- Boat strikes: Manatees are slow-moving and often blend in with the water, making them difficult to see for boaters. Boat strikes are the manatees’ leading cause of death.
- Habitat loss: Manatees need warm, shallow water to survive. As land development continues, more and more of their habitat is being lost.
- Pollution: Manatees are susceptible to significant pollutants, including oil, pesticides, and fertilizers. These pollutants can harm their health and even kill them.
- Climate change: Climate change is causing the water temperatures in manatee habitats to rise. This is making it more difficult for manatees to find food and survive.
How can we protect Manatees?
Manatees are difficult for boaters to see. Boater vigilance is vital, since marine-craft strikes are a leading cause of manatee deaths.
- Support the many organizations working to protect manatees, You can donate money, volunteer your time, or simply spread the word about their work
- Reducing our use of pollutants, including oil, pesticides, and fertilizers that can harm their health and even kill them. We can all do our part to reduce our use of pollutants by recycling using fewer pesticides, and reducing how often we fertilize our lawns. Manatees are highly sensitive to these pollutants, harming their health and even causing death.
