Overview

• A study published in PLOS ONE suggests manatees were not year-round residents of Florida until the 20th century, previously migrating from the Caribbean.
• Archaeological evidence, including a review of nearly two million animal bones, found very few manatee remains in Florida's precolonial records.
• The study attributes the manatees' permanent settlement to the end of the Little Ice Age and subsequent warming of Florida's waters.
• Historical sightings of manatees in Florida became more common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, coinciding with the proliferation of warm water refuges near power plants.
• While manatee populations have rebounded to 8,350-11,730, threats such as pollution, seagrass loss, and the closure of power plants due to the energy transition pose ongoing challenges.