Saving the Manatees

By Sarah Stage | August 7, 2022

Did you know that manatees are related to elephants? Manatees are aquatic creatures that are also known as "Sea Cows." To add on, manatees are in fact very closely related! Manatees can average up to 10 feet long and over 1,200 pounds! They weigh as much as a Great White Shark! Although Manatees may be big, they are gentle creatures. They play a particularly key role in maintaining the ecosystem by eating this plant called seagrass. They graze along the bottom and feed on the sea grass which keeps it maintained and prevents it from impeding boat traffic. Seagrass is a plant, the only plant that can be underwater all the time. That is where it grows. Manatees tend to eat lots of sea grass, which then shortens the grass and keeps it at a proficient level for the sea grass beds. Even though manatees do not have any predators, they can still become endangered. Some things that can cause this include loss of their habitat, collisions with boats and losing the food that they eat, which can cause starvation and eventually death. Manatees like to be in marshy areas, and if there is runoff or algae that is taking over, that is not healthy for them and can cause some problems. As well, the seagrass is in shallow water meaning that it needs sunlight to grow. Since there has been so much algae on the water, the sun cannot get through to the seagrass and it is dying, causing the manatees to starve. Additionally, because they are in shallow water, it is harder to get out of the way when boaters are coming, which then causes catastrophic collisions. Although the manatees currently are endangered, and its only getting worse, it can get better. We can do a lot to save them, and one of the first steps is to inform the public. Go around your neighborhood, around your school, and inform your fellow friends and neighbors of what is happening to the manatees, and why we need to save them before they are no more. Other ways that have helped is government officials have been putting up slow speed signs in the water where manatees can be present, ensuring the safety of the manatees and that no one gets hurt. If we work together and do what is right, I know we can save these creatures. They are so gentle and help the environment so much, we should help their environment and bring them back to safe numbers.