I remember my visit to Sea World like it was yesterday. I remember Shamu, petting the dolphins, and seeing all types of fish in the aquariums. But what I remember most are the manatees. For some reason, at the age of 7, I was extremely upset to find out that the large mammal's population could soon come to an end.
But now, there are reduced threats and “significant improvements” in both manatee population numbers and their habitat.
Since 1967, manatees have been classified as an endangered species. Now, the proposal from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services will move them from being "endangered" to "threatened."
This is a great step forward and it is showing progress, but is not a reason to stop all conservation techniques aimed toward preserving the manatees. "Threatened" is the classification given to a species on the verge of becoming endangered, so there is still a long way to go.
Although things seem to be going in the right direction, one of the more pressing threats to the manatee resurgence, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, comes from President Obama’s carbon regulations under the Clean Power Plan. The warm-water discharge from some of the plants has become home to manatees.
There are many viewpoints to take when it comes to conservation of power versus conservation of a species, but it needs to be known that manatees are affected by the plan so actions can be taken to continue saving the manatees.
So, why do we care about saving these large, round, grey, elephant-like sea species?
Well, to be completely honest, they don't do much. There's no specific function that provides necessities to the environment, but that doesn't mean we don't need them.
They are part of the system, and when one part of the system is removed, the entire thing goes out-of-whack. Manatees help control the vegetation that can obstruct Florida waterways. They also provide a benefit by processing the vegetation they eat and passing it back out into the environment as a form of fertilizer. They also attract thousands of visitors to national parks each year, generating revenue for the economy. They are part of the system.
According to CNN, "If the manatee is no longer endangered, Brevard County Commissioner Curtis Smith wants to get rid of slow speed zones for boats that took effect in the 1990s to protect the slow-moving manatees from fast boats." Supposedly, Smith claims the restriction was put into place due to emotions and love for the manatee, not based on science or facts.
I'm no die-hard manatee-activist trying to save the world, but I think it's important to acknowledge that yes, manatee conservation is moving forward, but that doesn't necessarily mean all of the problems are solved.
