Study Reveals Manatees as Recent Settlers in Florida

Research suggests that manatees only became permanent Florida residents after European colonization, influenced by climate change.

New findings indicate that manatees were not abundant in Florida before the colonial era, challenging previous assumptions about their historical population.
The study, published in PLOS ONE, was co-authored by researchers from the University of South Florida and George Washington University.
Manatees were likely occasional visitors from the Caribbean, only becoming permanent residents as Florida's waters warmed post-Little Ice Age.
Archaeological evidence shows a scarcity of manatee bones at pre-colonial sites, suggesting limited presence before the 1700s.
Despite their current population of 8,350 to 11,730, human-induced climate change and pollution continue to threaten manatees' survival in Florida.