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Manatee versus Motorboats: Who´s Winning?

By KRISTEN STERNBERG
NIE EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT

According to reports, every year more and more manatee are killed or severely injured by speeding boats. In Volusia County alone, boats killed at least 9 manatee; a sharp increase from the three deaths reported the previous year. More casualties are predicted as the creatures make their way to warmer waters for the winter. Environmentalists would like to see more restrictions placed on speed boating, with strictly enforced “No Wake” zones (areas in which boats are limited to idle speed) and more areas declared off-limits to motorboats – manatee sanctuaries.

What do boaters have to say about this issue? Take a look at this article about a statewide group concerned with protecting the rights of boaters.

Manatee in Florida (the only U.S. state where they are found) are officially called “West Indian Manatee.” They can live in fresh or salt water and they migrate (travel by season) in search of food, comfortable water temperatures and safe breeding grounds. News of this species is routinely reported in newspapers and other media. They´re in the public eye not only because they´re a federally designated Endangered Species (recent population surveys show only about 3,000 West Indian Manatee in all), but also because of how often manatee are injured or killed by boat propellers.

Why don´t manatee just get out of the way when they hear a boat coming? Like their close relative the elephant, manatee are mammals, and although manatee live in water they must surface to breathe. They also find the plants they eat, and usually the warmest waters, near the top. Unfortunately, they move slowly and, having no natural predators, are not particularly afraid of large objects moving in the water. Whirling blades of boat propellers just below the surface can slice and injure or kill the creatures. In fact, most manatee today are identified by the scars they carry from encounters with propellers.

Other species are sometimes quick in learning to fear or avoid people, but manatee, even though they were hunted, for food and for sport, almost to extinction in previous centuries, have been slow to adapt. Therefore, many feel, the responsibility for keeping the species alive lies with humans.

Which is more important-the rights of boaters, or the rights of the manatee? According to a News-Journal editorial, that´s a tough decision. Water recreation is an important resource for Florida. It brings tourists to spend money in its communities and new residents to contribute by working and paying taxes, for example. Limits on where and how fast boats can travel might keep some people away. Advocates (people in favor) of recreational boating maintain that the manatee population is growing and that collisions between manatee and boats are not endangering the species.

In fact, manatee do face threats besides boat propellers. Environmental factors such as loss of habitat and food supply, pollution and litter discarded by humans (some die from eating foreign objects, often mistaking them for food, or by getting tangled in fishing line, for example) are major concerns for the manatee population.

Conservationists, however, want to do whatever they can to lessen the risks that manatee currently face. With only a few thousand known to exist, they are in danger of becoming extinct, according to many experts. They argue that designating areas as sanctuaries (safe places) for manatee is essential. Boating accidents typically account for a large proportion of manatee deaths every year, and requiring boaters to avoid or slow down in areas where manatee are known to be present is a small price to pay for preserving an entire species.

Can manatee and boaters continue to co-exist as they are now, or are tighter restrictions needed in order to protect these “gentle giants” from extinction? Is there a compromise? Why not check out the activities and links below to learn more about this issue?

More manatee articles

Flagler boat-related manatee deaths rise
State and federal wildlife officials have warned Flagler County that it has some explaining to do.

Gentle manatee sparks angry debate
It’s one of the great ironies of Florida life that the manatee, arguably the state’s sweetest-tempered denizen, is the source of some of its nastiest conflicts.

Pretending manatees aren´t endangered
Florida´s manatees are in trouble. The problem is very straightforward: More boats are crowding onto Florida´s lakes and rivers. More manatees are being hit and killed by boats. They don´t breed fast enough to keep up. They´re in trouble.

Manatee stays in danger for now
The Florida manatee remains an endangered species as state wildlife officials Wednesday delayed a vote on changing its level of protection until at least next November.

State cranks up recycle project to reel in discarded fishing line
Nothing breaks the heart of a bird rehabilitator or a rescuer of manatees or dolphins more than finding a helpless, dehydrated animal hopelessly entangled in monofilament fishing line.

Try these interesting activities using The News-Journal

1. Read your newspaper´s Editorial page to examine how editorials are used to express opinions. Also, check out this recent News-Journal editorial about manatee. Then, write your own opinion article on one or more issues involving manatee. Edit your piece for spelling, grammar and punctuation and consider sending it to www.nieworld.com at your local newspaper to see if it gets published. To see what some other kids have to say about manatee, check out the Students Speak Easy section of nieworld.com. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.2.1, LA.A.1.2.2, LA.A.2.2.2, LA.A.2.2.3, LA.A.2.2.5, LA.A.2.2.6, LA.B.1.2.2, LA.B.1.2.3, LA.B.2.2.3, LA.B.2.2.6)

2. Issues involving manatee are often described in the local newspaper. Search your newspaper routinely to read and clip articles and photos about manatee. Keep a scrapbook of your findings, adding to it as appropriate, and share it with friends or family from time to time. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.2.1, LA.A.2.2.5)

3. By now, you have probably figured out that “manatee” can be used as a singular as well as a plural noun. Actually, both “manatees” and “manatee” can be used as the plural. Skim your newspaper for other nouns that fit this rule. Then, brainstorm and use other reference materials until you find at least 10 words to fit. Make an interesting chart (using a computer, if possible) to show your findings. A drawing or clip art showing each word you included will make a nice addition to your chart! Be sure to hang it up for others to see. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.2.3, LA.A.2.2.5, LA.B.2.2.4, LA.D.1.2.1)

4. Habitat is the area that supports a living thing. For example, deer live in a forest habitat. Using your newspaper, find and clip a picture that shows an outdoor scene. Use the photo to draw a “web of life” showing the different creatures that could live in the habitat shown. Show a parent or teacher your excellent work. (Sunshine State Standards: SC.G.1.2.1, SC.G.1.2.2, SC.G.1.2.5, VA.A.1.2.1)

5. Search your paper and other resources for articles that describe a typical manatee habitat. (Here´s a web site that may help you with your research: www.hsswp.com/manatees/types.html) Then, create a diorama (three-dimensional representation) of an ideal habitat for this creature, and ask your teacher or media specialist to display it for others to learn from. (Sunshine State Standards: SC.G.1.2.1, SC.G.1.2.2, SC.G.1.2.5, VA.B.1.2.1, VA.B.1.2.2)

A copy of Florida´s Sunshine State Standards can be found at intech2000.miamisci.org.

Check out these links to learn more

The U.S. fish and Wildlife Service maintains a site, just for kids, about manatee and other endangered species. Check out some fascinating facts about these creatures. (endangered.fws.gov)

An organization called Save the Manatee Club, based in Maitland, Florida, offers lots of information and photos at its web site. Follow links at the site for Manatee Myths and Facts and Tips on how to protect manatees from injuries and death. (www.savethemanatee.org)

Plan to spend some time among the many pages at this site designed for manatee enthusiasts (fans). Check out the interesting stories and photos the author created while swimming with manatee as well as the exciting story of a manatee rescue! (www.homesafe.com)

Where in the United States can you find the West Indian manatee? Take a look at this map to see if you guessed correctly! (www.learner.org)

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is popular for manatee viewing and education. Follow links to the Manatee Fact Sheet, Types/Habitats of Manatees, and be sure to check out Manatee Related Web Sites for fun and informational articles, pictures, games and more. (www.hsswp.com)

The Newspaper Association of America's web site contains links to many newspapers in the U.S. and around the world. Visit the site and check some of them out, to see if they have recently published any articles about manatee or their relatives. To access the newspapers at the site, select a state. Click on the "Internationals" button to view choices from other countries.

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