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I am personally frustrated by not having space in this article to answer even more common questions, such as how fast do they swim, what about their senses of taste, vision, smell, and hearing? Do they make sounds? (yes) How much do they eat each day? Studies have shown perhaps as much as 9% of their body weight, so a 1500-lb manatee could eat 135 pounds of plant material! Do they need fresh water to drink? They love a freshwater drink, but it seems as if they don't require a regular source of fresh water, and their kidneys are adapted to deal with salt water conditions. Do manatees eat marine debris such as fishing line, and plastic? Yes, examinations of manatee carcasses has found all kinds of harmful human-created materials in the digestive systems of manatees. Plus, manatees are often observed entangled in fishing line; which is one reason WRT canoes venture into the habitat every single month of the year for cleanups. Here's a last question to ponder: What will happen when power plants are phased out and their warm waters no longer can serve as refuges for manatees? Think about it!
 It makes sense to look to manatees as guides, and indicators: if they are healthy, the waters of Florida we love and need are also healthy. The expression "canary in a coal mine" is a cliché precisely because of its truth, and although it may bring a smile to your lips to think of our big bulbous buddies covered with bright yellow feathers like Tweetiebird, they do serve well as indicators of healthy habitats, or ones which need our help.
I will leave you with the words of a respected sirenian authority, Dr. Daryl P. Domning. His essay, "Why Save the Manatee?" was first published in Manatees and Dugongs, by J.E. Reynolds, III, and D.K. Odell, in 1991. I found it in Mysterious Manatees, by J.E. Reynolds, III, published 2003, and it follows:
- Manatees are an interesting esthetic resource that people enjoy watching. For many people, Florida would be a less interesting place without manatees.
- Manatees consume exotic plants, thereby reducing weed growth. This provides an economic benefit and reduces the need for toxic herbicides.
- Manatees may represent an important entity in healthy ecosystems in Florida... manatee grazing may promote productivity in seagrasses and thereby affect overall ecosystem productivity (including productivity of commercially and recreationally important species).
- In this age of genetic engineering, manatees, with their hodge-podge of adaptations, may serve as an important genetic resource for human health or other benefits.
- Human mental health depends to some extent on healthy natural systems. Our natural affinity for living things has even developed its own name—biophilia— and it is manifest in our having pets, building birdhouses, visiting zoos, and other activities. Thus, manatee health and well-being go hand-in-hand with ecosystem health and well-being, which help maintain human health and well-being.
- Humans have awesome ability to destroy nature and other things— but this ability carries with it a responsibility not to do so. Our species should exercise good stewardship.
- What excuse could we possibly give our descendants if we did not save the Florida manatee?
Feel free to write us with your manatee questions: we are here to answer them!
References:
Reynolds, John. E. III, Karen Glaser. Mysterious Manatees. 2003. University Press of Florida. Gainesville, Florida.
Powell, James. Manatees: Natural History and Conservation. 2002. Voyageur Press, Stillwater, Minnesota.
Runge, Michael C. A Model for Assessing Incidental Take of Manatees Due to Watercraft-related Activities. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel Maryland.
www.savethemanatee.org Official website of Save the Manatee Club
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