The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 remains one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in history, releasing over 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Located just 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, the spill had devastating effects on coastal ecosystems, impacting the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. […]
Tag: Manatees
Florida Manatees Denied Endangered Species Protections Despite ‘Ongoing Die-Off’
According to a new proposal put forth by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, will remain listed as a threatened species and will be submitted separately for protections from another subspecies, the Antillean manatee. The Antillean manatee has been proposed to be listed as […]
Florida’s manatees are actually relative newcomers, historical research suggests
Manatees, long considered among Florida‘s most beloved and enchanting inhabitants, are not native at all, and only came to the Sunshine state for warm temperatures and clear blue waters like any other visitor, researchers have found. The surprise revelation by scientists at the University of South Florida (USF) and George Washington University (GWU) upends decades […]
Lessons from the past may improve the future for manatees
While current manatee populations in Florida are threatened, their populations are higher than they ever historically were. Records show that manatee (Trichechus manatus) populations grew and began expanding across the Florida Peninsula during the same documented periods of human population increases, anthropogenic landscape changes, and social and policy changes. But with an increase in humans, […]
Researcher discovers new role played by manatees, ‘the gardeners of the Amazon’
MANAUS, Amazonas, Brazil — Located near the confluence of the Solimões and Japurá rivers, Lake Amanã, which means “the path of the rain,” is known as the home of the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis). During the dry season, when river levels drop, this mammal finds refuge and food there. It was on the beaches of […]
Florida residents shocked to discover a manatee in a man-made lake as biologists scramble to figure out how it got there
South Florida residents were shocked to discover a manatee swimming in a man-made lake last week as biologists theorize how the animal ended up so far from home. A resident captured a video of the animal swimming in a lake west of Fort Lauderdale last week, about 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean where the […]
Tragedy as 65-year-old manatee, Juliet, dies at Tampa zoo just four months after being rescued from seaquarium facing allegations of improper animal care
One of the world’s oldest known manatees has died, four months after being rescued from desolate conditions at the infamous Miami Seaquarium. Officials from ZooTampa at Lowry Park announced the death of 65-year-old manatee Juliet on Sunday after exhibiting declining health conditions over the past week. Juliet and her mate Romeo were rescued from the […]
Florida Manatees Face a Warm Water Dilemma Amid Renewable Energy Shift
In an environmental twist, Florida‘s manatees, known for their gentle nature, face a precarious future as their reliance on power plants for warm water collides with the state’s transition towards renewable energy. These marine mammals, affectionately dubbed “sea cows,” have found solace in the artificially warmed waters discharged by power plants, a critical adaptation since […]