A survey headed by the University of Minnesota found that one in every three species could be endangered or extinct by the year 2100. One species that's already threatened is the manatee.
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The Everglades at the southern tip of Florida are the biggest stretch of subtropical wetlands in the US. The freshwater marsh land is a habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna, and the region is home to extraordinary biodiversity, including manatees.
After years of decline, their populations had been recovering. Two years ago, researchers counted around 8,000 of the marine mammals here. But since then, there's been an unprecedented number of manatee fatalities.
Manatees: Gentle giants of the seas
Manatees aren't cuteness icons like puppies or pandas. But the marine mammals are beloved nevertheless. Here's your chance to learn more about the real-life mermaids!
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
Happy holidays!
Manatees live in along the Florida coast, in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin and along the coast of West Africa. And they have fans across the world who celebrate the marine mammal on Manatee Appreciation Day, the last Wednesday in March. Our readers love them, too, and expressed their enthusiasm on social media.
When Christopher Columbus and other explorers sailed the seas in the 15th and 16th century, they didn't just return home with reports about the "new worlds" but also with stories of mermaid sightings. Today we know Columbus and co actually saw manatees. The animals even belong to the order Sirenia - named after sirens, also known as mermaids.
Image: Kerstin Schweizer
Hungry herbivores
Manatees are herbivores who eat freshwater and saltwater plants like sea grass or mangrove leaves - and lots of them! They weigh up to 1,200 pounds and eat 10 to 15 percent of their bodyweight in plantmass every day. That requires around 7 hours of grazing.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
Shallow habitat
The "floating potatoes," as one of our Twitter followers lovingly called manatees, live in shallow coastal areas and rivers. West Indian and West African manatees spend their lives between salt water and freshwater. The water needs to be 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees C) or warmer, otherwise they can't survive. The Amazonian manatee lives entirely in freshwater rivers in South America.
Image: picture-alliance/Palm Beach Post via ZUMA Wire/G. Lovett
Dangerous boats
The greatest danger for manatees: boats. The animals aren't very fast, with an average speed of three to five miles per hour, and don't stand a chance of escaping an oncoming boat. The propeller can cause serious injuries and might even kill the manatee in a collision. About half of West Indian manatee deaths are caused by humans.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma Press/Tampa Bay Times/D.R. Clifford
Back into the wild
This young male manatee was injured along the Florida coast by some sort of watercraft in summer 2015. Fortunately he was rescued and rehabilitated by the staff at a Miami aquarium. One year later he was healthy enough again to be released into the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter, Florida.
Image: Getty Images/J. Raedle
Family ties
The manatee's closest relative is the dugong. It's in the same order (Sirenia) and looks very similar, but dugongs never venture into freshwater. They live solely in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Their snout looks more like a vacuum cleaner than a manatee's big nose.
When you see a manatee in the wild, for example while canoing in the Florida keys, don't attempt to hug or even ride them. This sort of harrassment is illegal and can harm the animals. Instead, give them a friendly wave or take a quick picture. Showing respect for the animals should be a no-brainer!
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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Septic tanks causing seagrass loss
The human population of Florida is booming, and all the new arrivals need somewhere to live. New housing developments are encroaching on the natural landscape and this unique ecosystem is under threat.
That's due in part to pollution from wastewater treatment plants. Many homes on the Indian River Lagoon aren't connected to the central sewer but have septic tanks. The wastewater goes into the soil and groundwater, filtering into the Indian River Lagoon.
It results in outbreaks of algae that block light, causing seagrass loss. And that deprives marine life — including manatees — of a vital food source, and so manatees are continuing to die at an alarming rate.
