How digital technology could help save this keystone species
Key Organizations
Save the Manatee
Save the Manatee is the world’s leading manatee conservation organization. It was founded in 1981 by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and Bob Graham, former Florida Governor and US Senator. Its mission is to protect manatees and their habitat for future generations.
The charity works with key Florida wildlife and research bodies as well as running a very popular 'adopt a manatee program'. It aims to recover and protect manatee populations throughout the world by increasing public awareness, sponsoring research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts and advocating for strong protection measures, such as no-wake zones and sanctuaries. The news items on its website are comprehensive and interesting.
Defenders of Wildlife
This is a national organization founded in 1947. It is dedicated to 'the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities'. This is achieved by transforming policies and institutions and by promoting innovative solutions through its highly skilled team of scientists, lawyers and wildlife management experts.
Its action to protect the Florida manatee dates back to the 1990s where Defenders of Wildlife was the lead plaintiff in federal lawsuits against the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The action was successful and resulted in significant additional protections for this endangered species.
Currently it is concentrating its efforts on restoring the natural flow of the Ocklawah River and the Great Florida Riverway that will provide warm water refuge for many vulnerable manatees over the cool winter months.
The FWC is tasked with managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people. It protects and conserves manatees and their habitat through the Manatee Management Plan and programs operated in the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation (Imperiled Species Management Section and Aquatic Habitat Conservation & Restoration Section), the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and the Division of Law Enforcement.
The Mote Manatee Research Program (MRP) works with the State of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey Sirenian Project)Â in organizing and maintaining a statewide Manatee Photo Identificattion System (MIPS) catalog. Long term aerial and photo-identification surveys throughout the year have proven valuable to local and county efforts to manage manatees in ways that attempt to balance human activities and sustainability of manatees and their habitat.
The aquarium has two resident manatees, Hugh & Buffett, who are trained to participate in special manatee research projects designed to gain an understanding about how manatees perceive their natural environment.