Discover the Sunshine State's beloved "sea cows" and learn how to safely observe them in their natural habitat. Florida, a state boasting over 80 distinct ecosystems and home to more than 4,000 native ...

Florida manatees have faced a devastating seagrass famine. FIU marine sciences Ph.D. candidate Aarin-Conrad Allen wants to understand what this means for the health of one of Florida’s most ...

The gentle, slow-moving Florida manatee has no natural predators. And yet, these charismatic mammals face numerous threats. Manatees are struck by vessels in busy waterways across the state, and a ...

♪ NARRATOR: The hydrilla depleted oxygen levels in the water and out-competed the native eelgrass, a staple of the manatees' diet. ♪ Then in the '90s, things got a whole lot worse.

Manatee deaths in Florida have declined in 2022, but wildlife officials warn that starvation is still a serious threat while pollution kills seagrass - a staple in their herbivore diet.

So far this year, 734 manatees have died. This year will be a repeat. Manatee advocates applauded the decision a year ago to supplement manatee's diet in the Indian River Lagoon as a shortage of ...

Manatees in Florida: What to know. Manatees, nicknamed sea cows, are foragers that rely on a plant-based diet. They can eat up to 150 pounds of food per day.

The front molars eventually fall out as they’re worn down from a manatee’s diet (typically plants that often hold sand). Manatees used to live on land, according to the FWC.

Florida manatees are heading into the critical winter season in healthier shape than they have been in recent years, when a dearth of their natural diet—seagrass—caused many to starve to death.

According to the latest figures from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, at least 335 manatees had died in Brevard through Dec. 9, about 44% of this year's 765 manatee deaths.