Florida Manatees to Be Removed Off Endangered Species List

The manatee in Florida is known as the West Indian manatee, which is a relative of the West African and Amazon manatee. They are large, plump and friendly mammals that spend their lives in the ocean. They have front flippers and a tail that resembles a wide paddle, and the males can reach a length of more than 9 feet. Their coloration is gray, they have an extremely mild temperament. Due to their low population, they were placed on the endangered species list. Their endangered status came about when the popularity of power boats grew and they began encroaching on their habitat and slicing into the skin of the local mantees with the propeller blades. As boating increased, injuries to mantees, who prefer shallow water like estuaries and canals, also increased.

They forage on sea grasses and don't have any natural predators. They are estimated to live up to 60 years. But due to their slow movements, they don't avoid motor boats very well. As the populations began decreasing at an alarming rate, conservationists and wildlife agencies had to step in to try to curb the fatalities. The manatee was placed on the federal endangered species list by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is also protected under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.

However, due to conservation measures like restricting boat travel to certain corridors and educating the public about the manatee, it has made progress in increasing its population. Population surveys since 1991 have shown more than a 50 percent increase in the manatee population. Some scientists think this may be because there are now better methods used to actually locate the animals, rather than an increase in the population. But, due to this increased number, the Florida state commission on wildlife recently decided to remove the manatee from the state endangered species list. While it would still remain on the Florida state threatened list, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will keep it on their federal endangered species list.

Conservationists, however, are concerned that the removal off the state list will decrease state sponsored protection and could create a relaxed effort in preserving habitat for the manatees. There would still be full protection from the federal list. Even though, several wildlife and conservation groups intend to file petitions to prevent the removal off the list and believe that it would ultimately harm the manatee if it was removed.