ICYMI: Florida Manatee Numbers Could Double

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Floridians concerned the state’s iconic manatee population might disappear entirely in the not so distant future can breathe a sigh of relief. That’s according to scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute who on Tuesday released a study into the state’s manatee population.

While the study concluded it was “highly likely” the state’s manatee population will endure for the next 100 years at least with a possible doubling of numbers over the next 50 years, there are some caveats that go along with the claims. Researchers say it remains imperative for wildlife managers to protect the creatures and their habitat.

“Today, the Florida manatees’ numbers are high,” Michael C. Runge, a research ecologist with USGS and the lead author of the study said. “Adult manatees’ longevity is good, and the state has available habitat to support a population that is continuing to grow.”

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Evidence of that growth in population came during the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s annual aerial survey which was conducted earlier this year. The agency reported in February that 6,620 manatees had been counted in its 2017 annual survey of sea cows in Sunshine State waters. That number was up from 6,250 in 2016.

The increase in population is a positive sign, but “new threats could emerge, or existing threats could interact in unexpected ways,” Runge said. “Managers need to remain vigilant to keep manatee populations viable over the long haul.”

Researchers behind the “Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee” study expect the state’s manatee population will gradually double over the next five decades and then level off. Environmental and habitat changes are expected to reduce the number of manatees in South Florida as a gradual shift into North Florida occurs.

See also: Feds Downgrade Manatee Protection Status

The two biggest threats to Florida’s manatee population, researchers say, are longstanding ones: Collisions with watercraft and the loss of warm-water habitats for winter refuge. Red tide is also predicted to “become an equally significant threat,” a media release about the study noted.

Researchers involved in the study conducted scenario tests “to see whether they could find a set of circumstances that would trigger a significant statewide decline in the manatee population,” the release noted. Some of the scenarios were likely, some not.

“If the rate of mortality from watercraft collisions were to double, the population’s resilience would be compromised,” said Runge.

FWC reported 520 manatee deaths in its 2016 annual report. More than 100 of those deaths were attributed to boats and other watercraft.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downgraded the protection status for manatees from endangered to threatened in March. The news was seen as good by some, but others, like U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, blasted the decision. He and other elected officials have called upon the agency to reverse the decision. So far, that hasn’t happened.

Florida’s manatees were first listed as a federal endangered species in 1966. The creatures are also protected under the state’s Manatee Sanctuary Act. The federal government began efforts to downgrade manatee protections about a year ago. The reclassification to threatened status leaves a number of protections in place for manatees, but it may lead to an easing of boating restrictions meant to protect the creatures. That is one of the concerns Buchanan and others have raised.

Runge and other researchers say manatees will continue to face threats, but if those threats are managed effectively, “manatees will be an integral and iconic part of Florida’s coastal ecosystems through the coming century.”

To reach the full study report, visit USGS online.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission