Manatee are endangered because of a combination of natural and man-made causes>>>

NATURE OF HUMAN OCEAN

















Some animals are endangered because of a combination of natural and man-made causes.

The West Indian manatee is an endangered aquatic mammal that lives in rivers, estuaries, canals and saltwater bays.

Manatees need warm water to survive. In the winter they live in southern Florida and parts of Georgia. In the summer they can migrate as far north as Virginia and west to Louisiana. Sometimes manatees die because they don't migrate back to warm water soon enough.

There are currently a little under 2,000 manatees in Florida. Every year about 150 die. Manatees are often killed when they are hit by boats. Manatees can also die when they get caught in fishing nets. Manatees only give birth every two to five years and they only have one calf at a time. Because their reproduction rate is so low and mortality rates are high, manatee populations are endangered.