Status - According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
no one knows just how many manatees there actually are. Although aerial studies
are done every year, they are not very exact due to changing weather conditions,
water clarity, and manatee behavior. Because of this, scientists are forced
to evaluate the manatee population by monitoring statistics such as adult
survival rates, reproduction, and population growth rates.
The IUCN Redlist has categorized manatees as being Vulnerable. According to the IUCN, the vulnerable classification means an animal "is not Critically Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future."
Distribution of Manatees
Distribution - All manatees live in warm coastal waters
in mainly tropical to subtropical areas and are located in various places
around the world.
Migration - As manatees migrate, they have been known to travel through freshwater, brackish and saltwater environments such as warm coastal areas, rivers, canals and estuaries. It is very important for manatees to remain in warm waters because if the water temperature drops below 68 degrees F, the manatees stop eating and often suffer cold stress and die.
( I credit George Stover Adventure Productions for this informative video. )