This page is intended to
only be an introduction to the endangered manatees & dugongs of our world. Links at the bottom of the
page will take
you to some of the best resource sites out there for more in-depth information. The
best sites to start with are marked with a star
.
Manatees and Dugongs, or sea cows as they are
sometimes referred to, are large, aquatic mammals with tapering
bodies that end in a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs,
referred to as flippers and their head and face are wrinkled with
whiskers on the snout. Their closest land relatives are the hyrax and
the elephant. There are a number of species throughout the world,
including the West Indian manatee, found in the southern United States
coastal waters and the Caribbean, the West African manatee, the
Amazonian manatee, and the marine dugong, found in the Pacific Ocean
primarily in northern Australian waters between Shark Bay in Western
Australia and Moreton Bay in Queensland.
Manatees are a migratory species, and the West Indian manatee for example, while concentrated in Florida, can also be found in the summer months as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia. Manatees and Dugongs are gentle, slow moving creatures, and most of their times is spent eating, resting and in migration. They are completely herbivorous and can consume up to 15% of their total body weight in vegetation daily. They typically graze for food along the bottom and surfaces of lakes, rivers and estuaries. The ocean dwelling dugongs live also mainly on plants and they graze on seagrasses, which form meadows in sheltered coastal waters.
West Indian Manatees have no natural enemies and most mortalities and injuries are from interaction with man, primarily collisions with boats. Other threats include dam gates and canal locks and flood control structures, ingestion of fish hooks, trash and monofilament line, vandalism, entanglement in crab trap lines and loss of habitat. They can live 60 years or more and are protected as a species in America under the Marine Mammal Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.
The links below will take you to
some great websites about manatees and dugongs.
The best sites to start for general information are marked with a
star
.
If you have a site that you think should be listed,
please
email me.
Official, Scientific & Governmental Sites
Endangered Species Organizations
Manatee Observation -Tours, Dive Sites & Parks
Other Countries
Commercial Websites
Personal Websites
Mass Extinction of Species
The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums
The
Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums is an international
association representing marine life parks, aquariums, zoos, research
facilities, and professional organizations dedicated to the highest
standards of care for marine mammals and to their conservation in the
wild through public education, scientific study, and wildlife
presentations.
American Scientist Online Article on Manatees, Bioacoustics and Boats
An interesting article
suggesting innovations in boat motors that may prevent collisions with
Manatees.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Manatees
Bureau of Protected Species Management.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute: Manatees
The website of the
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute located in St. Petersburg, FL.
Florida Manatee Recovery Program
Adobe
Acrobat, pdf document -US Fish and Wildlife Service, Third Revision.
Florida's Mermaids
Excellent website with focus on
Manatee diet. A
collaboration of the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, University of
Florida, and the Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, Florida Department of
Environmental Protection
Help The Manatees
A Defender of Wildlife
Project website.
Kids Only Manatees & Dugongs
Published by the
Center For Marine Conservation, 1996 Special Edition produced by the
United Nations Environment Programme.
Manatees in South Carolina
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Marine Mammal Commission
The Marine Mammal Commission is an
independent agency of the U.S. Government, established under Title II of the
Marine Mammal Protection Act. It was created to provide independent
oversight of the marine mammal conservation policies and programs being
carried out by the federal regulatory agencies.
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972
Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1994
Marine Mammal Stranding Center
Dedicated to the rescue,
rehabilitation and release of marine mammals and sea turtles.
Save The Manatee Club
An important non-profit website
dedicated to saving Manatees.
Sirenian International
Another important non-profit
website. Sirenian International, Inc., is a
grassroots organization of people who share a dedication to manatee & dugong
research, education, and conservation -a partnership of scientists,
students, educators, conservationists, and the public.
Sirenews
Newsletter of Society For Marine Mammalogy, IUCN/SSC Sirenia Specialist Group.
Smithsonian Institute -References on the Sirenia
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History has an online
bibliography that lists printed publications relating to manatees or
dugongs. The bibliography is divided into three categories: technical,
general, and periodicals. Several references are also available for young
students in the general and periodical categories. A great resource for
projects or reports.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973
The United States
governmental act that officially protects American Manatees and other
endangered species.
The Manatee Halfway House
The only South Florida manatee
treatment center which is licensed by the United States Fish & Wildlife
Service. A facility of the Miami River Marine Group.
The Wonderful World of the Manatee
A privately produced general
information website dedicated to protecting manatees.
US Fish and Wildlife Service Manatee Profile
US Fish and Wildlife Service site
-excellent resource.
US Geological Survey Manatee Information
USGS works in partnership
with Federal and State agencies and private organizations to study
manatee life history, behavior, ecology, and population biology.
Wildtracks
Satellite Tracking of Manatees
ICUN World Conservation Union
The World Conservation
Union is the world’s largest and most important conservation network.
The Union brings together 82 States, 111 government agencies, more than
800 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and some 10,000 scientists
and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. The
Union’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies
throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature
and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and
ecologically sustainable.
United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation
Monitoring Centre
The
United Nations Environment Programme
World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the
biodiversity assessment and policy implementation arm of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world's foremost
intergovernmental environmental organization.
US Fish & Wildlife Webpages on Endangered Species
The American endangered
species list maintained by the US Fish & Wildlife Service
Word Conservation Union ICUN Red List of Endangered Species
IUCN
- The World Conservation Union, through its Species Survival Commission
(SSC) has for four decades been assessing the conservation status of
species, subspecies, varieties and even selected subpopulations on a
global scale in order to highlight species threatened with extinction,
and therefore promote their conservation.
Bird's Underwater Manatee Tours
Crystal River, Florida
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Florida park that
serves as a rehabilitation center and refuge for endangered West Indian
manatees.
Manatee Watch
Web Cam from Homosassa Springs and
Crystal River sites in Florida
Scubabyte: Manatees
Scuba resource directory websites page on manatees
Endangered Jamaican Manatees
Addresses the plight of the endangered
population of Manatees in Jamaica.
Fundacion Salvemos al Manati de Costa Rica
The website of the
Foundation To Save Manatees in Costa Rica.
The Caribbean Stranding Network
San Juan, Puerto Rico (In English or Spanish)
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority -"Facts About Dugongs"
Australia's Great Barrier
Reef official website
Seaworld Education Resource Department: Manatees
Manatee information page by
Sea World/ Busch Gardens in Florida
Manatee
An online journal of an eight-day
photographic encounter with Manatees in Homosassa Springs, Florida
Manatee Haven
A small one-page personal
website.
Manatees
A small one-page
informational website
American
Museum of Natural History Statement
The IUCN Red List of Endangered Species
Professor David Ulansey's Website -Mass Extinction Underway