ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE

PROTECTION STATUS: Threatened (downlisted from endangered in 2017)

YEAR PLACED ON LIST: 1973 listed as endangered; downlisted to threatened 2017

CRITICAL HABITAT: Habitat in Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, De Soto, Lee, Collier, Monroe, Dade, Palm Beach, Martin, West Palm Beach, Volusia, Brevard, Nassau, and Duval counties, Florida designated in 1976 (map)

RECOVERY PLAN: 2001 (third revision)

RANGE: Coastal waters in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and Florida's shallow rivers, estuaries, and the Everglades

THREATS: Watercraft collisions, habitat loss due to development and pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change

POPULATION TREND: The Florida manatee's population is estimated to be approximately 3,800 individuals. Reports show that an unsustainable number of manatees are lost each year to boat collisions alone.

Florida manatee photo courtesy USFWS/S. Whitcraft