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Numbers
The manatee can be found in coastal regions around the United States. As migratory animals, they move with the seasons to where the underwater vegetation is flourishing. Manatees can be found off the coast of Florida in the winter, moving as far away as Texas and Massachusetts for the summer. However, due to unnatural causes of death and their slow reproduction, communities have seen the animal's numbers dwindle. Scientists didn't begin counting manatee populations until after the animal became endangered. However, in January 2011, it was estimated there were as few as 4,480 manatees left in the United States.
Unnatural Deaths
Many manatees are killed by human and environmental causes. The slow-moving mammals, which must raise to the surface of the water to breathe, are often struck by watercraft. The animal can be harmed both through the collision with the craft and also be cut by the moving propellers. Manatees are also killed by man-made features and items, as they can drown in flood control structures and canal locks, or ingest fish hooks, plastics and other trash.
Slow Reproduction
Manatees have a slow reproduction rate compared to other mammals, which makes it hard for the species to repopulate itself. The animal is not sexually mature until it reaches five-years-old. A female manatee's gestation is one year and the animal will typically have only one calf at a time. Twin manatees are rare. After having a calf, a mother manatee usually won't get pregnant again for another two to five years.
Solutions
Various government and nonprofit organizations have rallied to protect the manatee from extinction. In 1972, the West Indian manatee was included in the Marine Mammal Protection Act and put on the Endangered Species list in 1973. The animal is also protected under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. These federal and state laws make it illegal to hunt, harass, capture or kill the manatee. Nonprofit organizations, including the Save the Manatee Club, have also been established to protect the aquatic mammal through raising public awareness of the problem and supporting research, rehabilitation, rescue and release efforts.