Editing Manatee (section)

==Ecology==

===Range and habitat===
[[File:mapa distribuicao Trichechus.png|right|thumb|Approximate distribution of ''Trichechus''; ''T. manatus'' in green; ''T. inunguis'' in red; ''T. senegalensis'' in orange|alt=Map drawing showing range of three manatee populations]]
[[File:Manatee.jpg|thumb|Three manatees|alt=Underwater photo of three manatees swimming along bottom]]
[[File:Mother manatee and calf.jpg|thumb|Mother manatee and calf]]

Manatees inhabit the shallow, [[marsh]]y coastal areas and rivers of the [[Caribbean Sea]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] (''T. manatus'', [[West Indian manatee]]), the [[Amazon basin]] (''T. inunguis'', [[Amazonian manatee]]), and [[West Africa]] (''T. senegalensis'', [[West African manatee]]).<ref>[http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091014093223/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/roosmalen-200802.html ''Trials of a Primatologist.''] – smithsonianmag.com. Accessed March 15, 2008.</ref>

West Indian manatees prefer warmer temperatures and are known to congregate in shallow waters. They frequently migrate through [[brackish water]] [[estuary|estuaries]] to [[freshwater]] [[Spring (hydrosphere)|springs]]. They cannot survive below 15&nbsp;°C (60&nbsp;°F). Their natural source for warmth during winter is warm, spring-fed rivers.

====West Indian====
The coast of the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] is usually the northernmost range of the West Indian manatees because their low [[metabolic rate]] does not protect them in cold water. Prolonged exposure to water below 20&nbsp;°C (68&nbsp;°F)&nbsp;can cause "cold stress syndrome" and death.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Rebecca |last=Basu |title=Winter is culprit in manatee death toll |url=http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100301/NEWS01/3010320/Winter-is-culprit-in-manatee-death-toll |publisher=Florida Today |location=Melbourne, Florida |page=1A |date=1 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222142328/http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100301/NEWS01/3010320/Winter-is-culprit-in-manatee-death-toll |archive-date=February 22, 2014 }}</ref>

West Indian manatees can move freely between fresh water and salt water. However, studies suggest that they are susceptible to dehydration if freshwater is not available for an extended period of time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ortiz |first1=RM |last2=Worthy |first2=GA |last3=MacKenzie |first3=DS |title=Osmoregulation in wild and captive West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus). |journal=Physiological Zoology |date=July 1998 |volume=71 |issue=4 |pages=449–57 |doi=10.1086/515427 |pmid=9678505 |hdl=1969.1/182579 |s2cid=40972754 |url=https://faculty.ucmerced.edu/rortiz/pdf/PZ1.pdf |access-date=11 February 2024 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815034652/http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/rortiz/pdf/PZ1.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Manatees can travel hundreds of miles annually,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manatee (Trichechus manatus) {{!}} U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |url=https://www.fws.gov/species/manatee-trichechus-manatus |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=FWS.gov |language=en |archive-date=2023-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913083541/https://www.fws.gov/species/manatee-trichechus-manatus |url-status=live }}</ref> and have been seen as far north as [[Cape Cod]], and in 1995<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/435097/TRAVELIN-MANATEE-FAR-FROM-HOME-AGAIN.html?pg=all|title=TRAVELIN' MANATEE FAR FROM HOME AGAIN|work=Deseret News|date=23 August 1995|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=1 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101134746/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/435097/TRAVELIN-MANATEE-FAR-FROM-HOME-AGAIN.html?pg=all|url-status=dead}}</ref> and again in 2006, one was seen in New York City<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/nyregion/07manatee.html|title=Massive Manatee Is Spotted in Hudson River|date=7 August 2006|access-date=1 January 2016|author=Lee, Jennifer 8|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109042741/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/nyregion/07manatee.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Rhode Island]]'s [[Narragansett Bay]]. A manatee was spotted in the [[Wolf River (Tennessee)|Wolf River]] harbor near the [[Mississippi River]] in downtown Memphis in 2006, and was later found dead {{convert|10|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} downriver in McKellar Lake.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16160935|title=Manatee found dead in Tenn. lake|agency=Associated Press|date=11 December 2006|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=24 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924124042/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16160935/ns/us_news-environment/t/manatee-found-dead-tenn-lake/|url-status=live}}</ref> Another manatee was found dead on a New Jersey beach in February 2020, considered especially unusual given the time of year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abc7ny.com/5921110/|title=Dead manatee found along Jersey Shore|date=2020-02-11|website=ABC7 New York|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213060149/https://abc7ny.com/5921110/|archive-date=2020-02-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time of the manatee's discovery, the water temperature in the area was below 6.5&nbsp;°C (43.7&nbsp;°F).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seatemperature.org/north-america/united-states/atlantic-city.htm|title=Atlantic City (NJ) Water Temperature {{!}} United States {{!}} Sea Temperatures|last=Ltd|first=Copyright Global Sea Temperatures-A.-Connect|website=World Sea Temperatures|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14|archive-date=2020-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127092802/https://www.seatemperature.org/north-america/united-states/atlantic-city.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The West Indian manatee migrates into Florida rivers—such as the [[Crystal River (Florida)|Crystal]], the [[Homosassa River|Homosassa]], and the [[Chassahowitzka River|Chassahowitzka]] rivers, whose headsprings are 22&nbsp;°C (72&nbsp;°F) all year. Between November and March each year, about 600 West Indian manatees gather in the rivers in [[Citrus County, Florida]] such as the [[Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Crystal_River/about.html|title=About the Refuge|last=US Fish and Wildlife Service|date=November 14, 2017|website=Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida|access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-date=October 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030142613/https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Crystal_River/about.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In winter, manatees often gather near the warm-water outflows of power plants along the Florida coast, instead of migrating south as they once did. Some conservationists are concerned that these manatees have become too reliant on these artificially warmed areas.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www2.tbo.com/weather/news/2011/jan/07/can-manatees-survive-without-warm-waters-from-powe-ar-16293/
|title =Can manatees survive without warm waters from power plants?
|author = Keith Morelli
|newspaper = The Tampa Tribune
|date = January 7, 2011
|access-date = 2012-05-04}}</ref> 

Accurate population estimates of the West Indian manatee in Florida are difficult. They have been called scientifically weak<ref>U.S. Marine Mammal Commission 1999</ref> because they vary widely from year to year, with most areas showing decreases, and little strong evidence of increases except in two areas. Manatee counts are highly variable without an accurate way to estimate numbers. In Florida in 1996, a winter survey found 2,639 manatees; in 1997, a January survey found 2,229, and a February survey found 1,706.<ref name=GulDie/> A statewide synoptic survey in January 2010 found 5,067 manatees living in Florida, the highest number recorded to that time.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Exceptional weather conditions lead to record high manatee count|publisher=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission|date=January 20, 2010|url=http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/statewide/News_10_X_ManateeSynoptic2010.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214220230/http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/statewide/News_10_X_ManateeSynoptic2010.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2011|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref>

As of January 2016, the USFWS estimates the range-wide West Indian manatee population to be at least 13,000; as of January 2018, at least 6,100 are estimated to be in Florida.<ref name="fws.gov">{{cite press release |last1=Service |first1=U. S. Fish and Wildlife |title=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Reclassify West Indian Manatee from Endangered to Threatened |url=https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?_ID=35428 |website=www.fws.gov |language=en |access-date=2021-03-25 |archive-date=2021-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508103004/https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?_ID=35428 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://myfwc.com/research/manatee/research/population-monitoring/synoptic-surveys/ |title=Manatee Synoptic Surveys |publisher=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |date=2018 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-date=6 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906135944/http://myfwc.com/research/manatee/research/population-monitoring/synoptic-surveys/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Population viability analysis|Population viability]] studies conducted in 1997 found that decreasing adult survival and eventual extinction were probable future outcomes for Florida manatees unless they received more protection.<ref>(Marmontel, Humphrey, O'Shea 1997, "Population Variability Analysis of the Florida Manatee, 1976–1992", ''Conserv. biol''., 11: 467–481)</ref> The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed downgrading the manatee's status from endangered to threatened in January 2016 after more than 40 years.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://news.discovery.com/animals/record-6250-manatees-spotted-in-florida-waters-160226.htm| title=Record 6,250 Manatees Spotted in Florida Waters| date=February 26, 2016| publisher=Discovery| access-date=February 26, 2016| archive-date=February 28, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228001022/http://news.discovery.com/animals/record-6250-manatees-spotted-in-florida-waters-160226.htm| url-status=dead}}</ref>

There is a small population of the subspecies [[West Indian manatee|Antillean manatee]] (''T. m. manatus'') found in Mexico's Caribbean coastal area. The best estimate for this population is 200-250.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Robles Herrejón |first1=Juan Carlos |last2=Morales-Vela |first2=Benjamín |last3=Ortega-Argueta |first3=Alejandro |last4=Pozo |first4=Carmen |last5=Olivera-Gómez |first5=León David |date=June 2020 |title=Management effectiveness in marine protected areas for conservation of Antillean manatees on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3323 |journal=Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems |language=en |volume=30 |issue=6 |pages=1182–1193 |doi=10.1002/aqc.3323 |bibcode=2020ACMFE..30.1182R |issn=1052-7613 |access-date=2024-03-05 |archive-date=2022-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121174902/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3323 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> As of 2022, a new manatee habitat was discovered by [[Klaus Thymann]] within the cenotes of [[Sian Kaʼan Biosphere Reserve|Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve]] on the [[Yucatán Peninsula]]. The explorer and his team documented the discovery with a 12-minute film that is available on the interactive streaming platform WaterBear.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WaterBear |url=https://www.waterbear.com/ |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=www.waterbear.com |language=en}}</ref> The discovery got picked up by the [[New Scientist]] in 2024, who featured in a 10-minute short film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stock |first=David |title=Manatees discovered in pristine but threatened underwater cave habitat |url=https://www.newscientist.com/video/2413243-manatees-discovered-in-pristine-but-threatened-underwater-cave-habitat/ |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=New Scientist |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226060553/https://www.newscientist.com/video/2413243-manatees-discovered-in-pristine-but-threatened-underwater-cave-habitat/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Amazonian====
The freshwater Amazonian manatee (''T. inunguis'') inhabits the Central Amazon Basin in [[Brazil]], eastern [[Peru|Perú]], southeastern [[Colombia]], but not [[Ecuador]]. It is the only exclusively freshwater manatee, and is also the smallest. Since they are unable to reduce peripheral heat loss, it is found primarily in tropical waters.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Amazonian Manatee - Facts, Information & Habitat|url=https://animalcorner.org/animals/amazonian-manatee/|access-date=2021-12-24|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224060223/https://animalcorner.org/animals/amazonian-manatee/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====West African====
They are found in coastal marine and estuarine habitats, and in freshwater river systems along the west coast of Africa from the [[Senegal River]] south to the [[Cuanza River]] in [[Angola]]. They live as far upriver on the [[Niger River]] as [[Koulikoro]] in [[Mali]], {{convert|2000|km|abbr=on}} from the coast.<ref name=iucnWA>{{cite iucn | author = Keith Diagne, L. | title = '' Trichechus senegalensis'' | volume = 2016 | page = e.T22104A97168578 | year = 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Predation===
In relation to the threat posed by humans, [[predation]] does not present a significant threat to manatees.<ref name=":0" /> When threatened, the manatee's response is to dive as deeply as it can, suggesting that threats have most frequently come from land dwellers such as humans rather than from other water-dwelling creatures such as [[Caiman|caimans]] or sharks.<ref name=":0" />