The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a native species found in many of Florida’s waterways. The Florida manatee population has grown to a minimum of 8,350 animals today and as a result, the species was reclassified from an endangered to a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act in May 2017.
Florida manatees are considered one of the state’s keystone species whose behavior can alert researchers to the environmental and habitat changes that may otherwise go unnoticed in Florida’s waterways for extended periods of time.
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