Manatees Research Paper

Introduction to the Species: West Indian Manatees are large herbivores. They eat over 60 different species of vegetation and. They are fully-aquatic mammals, gray, and very slow moving. They sometimes are called cows of the sea or “sea cows”. West Indian Manatees recently were removed from the endangered species, but are still considered threatened. Many of the threats are from humans. Things such as water population and boat propellers cause big problems for this species. The loss of manatees can be devastating to the environment because the important role they play. Manatees play the important role of maintaining and spreading water plant species. Physical Description: Manatees are large gray-brown mammals that are quite round. They range …show more content…
They are grazers of the ocean and consume over 60 different species of water vegetation. Manatees eat about 15% of their body weight in plants every day. Manatees’ role do not just include eating. Manatees also play 2 other important roles. They are cutting the grass and keeping it at an appropriate length for the ecosystem and spread the seeds of the vegetation they are eating. Spreading seagrass seeds provides a safe habitat for the organisms that grow and live in the sea grasses. Without manatees, water vegetation populations would be out of control. Where the species fits on the food chain: Manatees eat over 60 species of vegetation. These plants include turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, mangrove leaves, and various types of algae, water hyacinth, acorns, and hydrilla. Manatees get energy from feeding on these plants and consume about 4% to 9% of their body weight in plants daily. Manatees are also great at fasting. They have a very low metabolic rate so many manatees are able to fast for up to 7 months. There are not many natural predators to the manatee. Even though sharks and alligators share a habitat with the manatees, they usually don’t bother them because they aren’t in competition. Another reasoning that many animals don’t attack manatees is because they are just too big. Manatees’ only real predator is humans, except humans don’t eat the

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