The gentle, slow-moving Florida manatee has no natural predators. And yet, these charismatic mammals face numerous threats. Manatees are struck by vessels in busy waterways across the state, and a ...

♪ NARRATOR: The hydrilla depleted oxygen levels in the water and out-competed the native eelgrass, a staple of the manatees' diet. ♪ Then in the '90s, things got a whole lot worse.

Manatee deaths in Florida have declined in 2022, but wildlife officials warn that starvation is still a serious threat while pollution kills seagrass - a staple in their herbivore diet.

The front molars eventually fall out as they’re worn down from a manatee’s diet (typically plants that often hold sand). Manatees used to live on land, according to the FWC.

So far this year, 734 manatees have died. This year will be a repeat. Manatee advocates applauded the decision a year ago to supplement manatee's diet in the Indian River Lagoon as a shortage of ...

The front molars eventually fall out as they’re worn down from a manatee’s diet (typically plants that often hold sand). Manatees used to live on land, according to the FWC.

Manatees in Florida: What to know. Manatees, nicknamed sea cows, are foragers that rely on a plant-based diet. They can eat up to 150 pounds of food per day.

Manatees typically eat 50 to 100 pounds of seagrass per day. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A shift in manatees’ diet. In our study, we examined 193 manatee stomach samples collected from carcasses recovered ...