Its manatee awareness month, so here’s some interesting items – and reality checks ( they are threatened) – about these unusual “sea cows”
Manatees v Dugongs
Manatees have horizontal, paddle-shaped tails with only one lobe to move up and down when the animal swims; it’s similar in appearance to that of a beavertail. Dugongs have a fluked tail, meaning it is made up of two separate lobes joined together in the middle. The snout of a dugong is broad, short, and trunk-like.
Both Dugongs and Manatees are Threatened
Sadly, human activities threaten both dugongs and manatees. Dugongs are especially vulnerable due to their long reproductive cycle. Female dugongs typically don’t give birth until they are 10-years-old and only breed every three to five years. Female manatees typically have their first baby at age three and have more babies every two to three years.
Both manatees and dugongs are protected, but they are easy prey for hunters who want their blubber and oil. The slow-moving animals are also frequently hit by boats and trapped in fishing nets or canals. Mangrove habitat destruction also threatens the gentle sirenas.
Manatees are an integral part of aquatic ecosystems and yet, they are threatened with extinction. Located thousands of kilometers apart, two different manatee species face very similar problems that are being dealt with in very different ways. Being big and beautiful aren’t the only things the Florida manatee and the African manatee have in common.
Both their livelihoods are being threatened by photosynthesizing invaders.
Manatees play an important role in maintaining a healthy coastal environment. When manatees feed on rooted aquatic plants, including seagrasses, their trimming of the grass blades stimulates new growth, which contributes to the overall health of the seagrass beds and other species that inhabit them. Manatees also eat floating vegetation that might otherwise block canals.
While manatees are primarily herbivores— consuming 4%-9% of their body weight each day in wet plant matter— some ‘plants’ aren’t on the menu. In fact, some chloroplast carrying species are causing big problems for these gentle giants and making scientists worry.
In the United States, Central Florida’s Indian River Lagoon — a 150-mile-long saltwater estuary and Florida manatee population stronghold—has lost more than 90% of its seagrass within the last decade. Seagrass is the Florida manatees’ main food source.
Sources : https://blog.padi.com/ & https://dipndive.com/blogs/
