Manatees in Florida
Wildlife and Offshore Drilling: Manatees
The gentle and curious “sea cow” is one of Florida’s iconic animals, and one of the country’s most imperiled marine creatures, with a population estimated at only 5,000. While manatees reside year-round in the coastal waters of Florida, in warm months they can be found all along the Gulf Coast, and up the Atlantic coast as far as Massachusetts. In addition to the hazards posed by boats, cold weather, habitat loss, discarded fishing gear and red tides, manatees in the Gulf are now faced with a new threat: oil from the B P Deepwater Horizon
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