Missing Stepping Stones
Ava Dawson | April 2019
“Look! Look! The manatees are everywhere!” I would shout. My five-year-old self was fascinated with the gray, rock-like backs of manatees floating on the surface of the canal like massive stepping stones. I grew up spending almost every Christmas down on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. My grandparents lived in a small town called Satellite Beach that was almost like a barrier island which was surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side, the Indian River on the other, and Cape Canaveral just north.
Less than half a mile down the street from my grandparents’ house was a narrow canal where the Florida manatee species would float by. There would always be a crowd of people pulled over on the side of the road to catch a peak of the large marine animals. My memories of these graceful animals are still ongoing to this day. It was only this past December when I was able to witness about thirty manatees soaking up the warm Florida sun. My nana used to tell me when I was young that manatees originated from the legend of mermaids. Their human-like eyes were seen by early Europeans sailing in the warm waters of the West Indies. Although the legend of the half mermaid, half human creature lives on today, it is uncertain whether the manatee will survive much longer. A concentrated effort to protect and reestablish populations may be the only hope to saving the Florida manatees from extinction.
The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, which are the only living members of the Trichechidae family. One of the manatees’ closest living relatives is the elephant. These thick aquatic mammals measure to be about 9-11.5 feet long and range from 440-1320 pounds. Their rounded bodies are covered in a grayish brown wrinkly skin layer. At the end of their cylinder-like bodies, they have a flat rounded tail that is used for forwarding propulsion. The Florida manatee lives near the shores of brackish freshwater or saltwater in coastal or riverine ecosystems. Hence the name, Florida manatees spend most of their time in Florida as well as the coasts of the southeastern United States.
These creatures thrive in warm environments, yet they cannot endure temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. Florida manatees are most abundant in the Florida region during the cold months. Throughout the summer, Florida manatees travel hundreds of miles up the Atlantic coast and as far west as Texas. These massive animals are nicknamed “sea cows” due to their plant-based eating habitats. Their diets include feeding on large amounts of seagrass and other small aquatic plants to fulfill their dietary needs. The manatees’ lips are coated with special sensory bristles that help distinguish between plants. The Florida manatee has evolved very little over the past few million years compared to its common ancestors.
For native Floridians, seeing manatees floating along the canals is a normal, everyday activity. My dad used to tell me stories of growing up on the beaches of the Florida coast and interacting with a large variety of marine animals. As a foolish teenager, he and his friends thought they could quickly reach the opposite side of the canal by stepping on the backs of the manatees, like stepping stones. Fortunately, he admits that they never tried it. The true reason they never attempted the act was because of the strict manatee protection laws put in place. Even back in the early 1980s, Florida state laws protected manatee populations. These protections policies have only become harsher due to the effects that climate change and the biodiversity crisis have had on the Florida manatee.
These gentle giants face a number of human-caused threats to the existence of current populations and their habitats. Manatees are unique because they have no natural predators which should help populations flourish. Unfortunately, man-made threats like overexploitation, watercraft collisions, habitat loss, and red tides have caused populations to decline. The most direct threat has been boat collisions particularly in rivers, sounds, and canals. Scars and wounds visible on the backs and tails of Florida manatees are usually caused by propellers and boat hulls. Another direct danger to manatees is overexploitation and hunting for their meat, fat, and hides. This was more of a threat in past centuries, although other West Indian manatee subspecies around the world are still hunted for food. Although these animals are protected, direct human-related dangers still threaten their existence.
Indirect threats like anthropogenic climate change and global warming are deeply affecting marine biodiversity in Florida. Bigger and recurring red tides are prime examples of changing climates and ecosystems. A red tide is an environmental event that originates off the Gulf of Mexico when massive amounts of algae bloom. This naturally-occurring phenomenon is becoming more frequent due to nitrogen-rich fertilizer runoff, the increase in global air and water temperatures, and extreme weather events. Manatees can come into contact red tides by just breathing on the surface or by ingesting seagrass that is coated in harmful algae. When this happens, it causes seizures which can prevent manatees from lifting their snouts above the water to breathe, causing them to drown. Hundreds of dead Florida manatees have either washed up on shore or completely vanished in southwest Florida, and even Brevard County where my favorite memories of manatees began.
The greatest long-term effect on Florida manatees is the loss of marine habitat. Cold water temperature snaps caused by climate change have resulted in a decline in populations. Residential development has severely reduced natural hot springs that manatees use to keep warm. Habitat destruction has damaged natural springs and seagrass environments. Chemical pollution has also become a problem that causes manatees to become more vulnerable to diseases. These threats are all either directly or indirectly being caused by human society.
The Florida manatee has become a cultural symbol for animal conservation throughout the state of Florida. The playful giants are popular with the public and can even be an ecotourism attraction. Although the Florida manatee was originally protected by the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and is currently protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, the species is classified as threatened and populations are still gradually declining. Like many other species who are struggling through the biodiversity crisis, the Florida manatees’ greatest source of mortality is humans. Our actions as humans both, directly and indirectly, threaten the livelihood of these majestic creatures.
The decline in Florida manatee populations over the past century should be an alarming wake-up call. Even though protection and recovery plans and policies have been put in place, it is not enough to mitigate the effects of climate change. My ultimate hope is to one day bring my own children back to the canals of Satellite Beach to see these beautiful creatures float like stepping stones in their natural habitats. But this dream may be short-lived if societies around the globe continue to degrade marine ecosystems and their inhabitants.
Ava Dawson | April 2019
“Look! Look! The manatees are everywhere!” I would shout. My five-year-old self was fascinated with the gray, rock-like backs of manatees floating on the surface of the canal like massive stepping stones. I grew up spending almost every Christmas down on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. My grandparents lived in a small town called Satellite Beach that was almost like a barrier island which was surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side, the Indian River on the other, and Cape Canaveral just north.
Less than half a mile down the street from my grandparents’ house was a narrow canal where the Florida manatee species would float by. There would always be a crowd of people pulled over on the side of the road to catch a peak of the large marine animals. My memories of these graceful animals are still ongoing to this day. It was only this past December when I was able to witness about thirty manatees soaking up the warm Florida sun. My nana used to tell me when I was young that manatees originated from the legend of mermaids. Their human-like eyes were seen by early Europeans sailing in the warm waters of the West Indies. Although the legend of the half mermaid, half human creature lives on today, it is uncertain whether the manatee will survive much longer. A concentrated effort to protect and reestablish populations may be the only hope to saving the Florida manatees from extinction.
The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, which are the only living members of the Trichechidae family. One of the manatees’ closest living relatives is the elephant. These thick aquatic mammals measure to be about 9-11.5 feet long and range from 440-1320 pounds. Their rounded bodies are covered in a grayish brown wrinkly skin layer. At the end of their cylinder-like bodies, they have a flat rounded tail that is used for forwarding propulsion. The Florida manatee lives near the shores of brackish freshwater or saltwater in coastal or riverine ecosystems. Hence the name, Florida manatees spend most of their time in Florida as well as the coasts of the southeastern United States.
These creatures thrive in warm environments, yet they cannot endure temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. Florida manatees are most abundant in the Florida region during the cold months. Throughout the summer, Florida manatees travel hundreds of miles up the Atlantic coast and as far west as Texas. These massive animals are nicknamed “sea cows” due to their plant-based eating habitats. Their diets include feeding on large amounts of seagrass and other small aquatic plants to fulfill their dietary needs. The manatees’ lips are coated with special sensory bristles that help distinguish between plants. The Florida manatee has evolved very little over the past few million years compared to its common ancestors.
For native Floridians, seeing manatees floating along the canals is a normal, everyday activity. My dad used to tell me stories of growing up on the beaches of the Florida coast and interacting with a large variety of marine animals. As a foolish teenager, he and his friends thought they could quickly reach the opposite side of the canal by stepping on the backs of the manatees, like stepping stones. Fortunately, he admits that they never tried it. The true reason they never attempted the act was because of the strict manatee protection laws put in place. Even back in the early 1980s, Florida state laws protected manatee populations. These protections policies have only become harsher due to the effects that climate change and the biodiversity crisis have had on the Florida manatee.
These gentle giants face a number of human-caused threats to the existence of current populations and their habitats. Manatees are unique because they have no natural predators which should help populations flourish. Unfortunately, man-made threats like overexploitation, watercraft collisions, habitat loss, and red tides have caused populations to decline. The most direct threat has been boat collisions particularly in rivers, sounds, and canals. Scars and wounds visible on the backs and tails of Florida manatees are usually caused by propellers and boat hulls. Another direct danger to manatees is overexploitation and hunting for their meat, fat, and hides. This was more of a threat in past centuries, although other West Indian manatee subspecies around the world are still hunted for food. Although these animals are protected, direct human-related dangers still threaten their existence.
Indirect threats like anthropogenic climate change and global warming are deeply affecting marine biodiversity in Florida. Bigger and recurring red tides are prime examples of changing climates and ecosystems. A red tide is an environmental event that originates off the Gulf of Mexico when massive amounts of algae bloom. This naturally-occurring phenomenon is becoming more frequent due to nitrogen-rich fertilizer runoff, the increase in global air and water temperatures, and extreme weather events. Manatees can come into contact red tides by just breathing on the surface or by ingesting seagrass that is coated in harmful algae. When this happens, it causes seizures which can prevent manatees from lifting their snouts above the water to breathe, causing them to drown. Hundreds of dead Florida manatees have either washed up on shore or completely vanished in southwest Florida, and even Brevard County where my favorite memories of manatees began.
The greatest long-term effect on Florida manatees is the loss of marine habitat. Cold water temperature snaps caused by climate change have resulted in a decline in populations. Residential development has severely reduced natural hot springs that manatees use to keep warm. Habitat destruction has damaged natural springs and seagrass environments. Chemical pollution has also become a problem that causes manatees to become more vulnerable to diseases. These threats are all either directly or indirectly being caused by human society.
The Florida manatee has become a cultural symbol for animal conservation throughout the state of Florida. The playful giants are popular with the public and can even be an ecotourism attraction. Although the Florida manatee was originally protected by the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and is currently protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, the species is classified as threatened and populations are still gradually declining. Like many other species who are struggling through the biodiversity crisis, the Florida manatees’ greatest source of mortality is humans. Our actions as humans both, directly and indirectly, threaten the livelihood of these majestic creatures.
The decline in Florida manatee populations over the past century should be an alarming wake-up call. Even though protection and recovery plans and policies have been put in place, it is not enough to mitigate the effects of climate change. My ultimate hope is to one day bring my own children back to the canals of Satellite Beach to see these beautiful creatures float like stepping stones in their natural habitats. But this dream may be short-lived if societies around the globe continue to degrade marine ecosystems and their inhabitants.