Reasons for Endangerment
Manatees have several different environmental factors and man made threats that contribute to their endangerment. The West Indian Manatee is listed in the CITES which stands for Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species. The number one reason why manatees are endangered is because of watercraft collision. The areas that they feed and live in are high traffic areas for boats. Boats often make trips through these shallow waters for either recreation or small business purposes. Since the manatee can stay submerged for so long people are unable to see them. The only sign of them are air bubbles and stirred mud, this is why they are so often hit by boats.
One of the other leading causes of manatee death is pollution. The manatees eat garbage that is hidden in the weeds. Sometimes this garbage can be fishing line. The manatees can not digest line and sometimes hooks are attached as well. These can get caught inside the manatee, causing it to die. Fishing nets are a big problem as well. The manatees can get tangled in the nets that fishermen set out for fish. When they get trapped, the manatees are not able to come up and breathe, causing them to drown.
An environmental factor that is causing manatees to die off is cold stress syndrome. Manatees can not be in water below 68 degrees fahrenheit, because of their low metabolic rate and little insulating fat. In the last 10 years the US Wildlife Conservation Society has recorded over 237 manatee deaths resulting from cold stress syndrome. Multiple conservation organizations have been trying to raise awareness about the endangered manatee for the past 30 years, but they can only do so much.
One of the other leading causes of manatee death is pollution. The manatees eat garbage that is hidden in the weeds. Sometimes this garbage can be fishing line. The manatees can not digest line and sometimes hooks are attached as well. These can get caught inside the manatee, causing it to die. Fishing nets are a big problem as well. The manatees can get tangled in the nets that fishermen set out for fish. When they get trapped, the manatees are not able to come up and breathe, causing them to drown.
An environmental factor that is causing manatees to die off is cold stress syndrome. Manatees can not be in water below 68 degrees fahrenheit, because of their low metabolic rate and little insulating fat. In the last 10 years the US Wildlife Conservation Society has recorded over 237 manatee deaths resulting from cold stress syndrome. Multiple conservation organizations have been trying to raise awareness about the endangered manatee for the past 30 years, but they can only do so much.
New Adaptations Needed
The manatee has several adaptations already but there are many that it could benefit from as well, the first one being a brighter color. The manatee is a dark grey color making it almost invisible in some bodies of water. If manatees were a brighter color, they could be easily spotted and boaters could avoid them. One of the number one reasons for endangerment is cold stress syndrome. If the manatee had a higher metabolism and more body fat, this could be avoided. With this adaptation, the manatee could also travel different places and would not have to migrate during the winter and summer months. Another adaptation that would benefit the manatee is faster swimming. This could help them to swim away from boats and other dangers in the water. Manatees tend to stay in warm, shallow waters to live but that is also where a lot of boat traffic and residential areas are. If the manatee was able to survive in deeper waters, then they would stay out of the high boat traffic areas, so the ability to hold their breath for longer would be beneficial as well. If manatees could develop these traits, their survival rate would increase greatly and no longer be endangered.