With manatee season in full swing, Florida’s gentle marine mammals gather in warm waters to escape winter’s chill. But these iconic creatures face growing challenges from habitat loss, water pollution, and boating collisions.
A new proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aims to address these threats by revising critical habitat protections for the first time in nearly 50 years.
The agency proposes protecting more than 1.9 million acres of critical habitat for Florida manatees and more than 78,000 acres for Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico, marking the first update since 1976…