Regal Tribune

Saturday, January 23, 2021
Log in
  • National News
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Science
  • Health
  • About Regal Tribune

Pages

  • About Regal Tribune
  • Body of Woman Discovered in Gwinnett Place Mall Identified
  • Compulsory Vaccines for Children
  • Contact Us
  • High Tides Are the New Danger in U.S. States
  • Homepage
  • Our Team
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Terms of Use

Recent Posts

  • Canadian Teen Dies on School Trip from Toxic Shock Syndrome Jun 29, 2018
  • Unesco Removes the Belize Coral Reef from Its List of Endangered Sites Jun 28, 2018
  • Tonight, the Blood Moon Coincides with the Longest Lunar Eclipse of the Century Jun 27, 2018
  • People Are Paying Hundreds of Dollars Just to Own Official Fortnite Disc Copies Jun 27, 2018
  • Researchers Reassess the Fermi Paradox, Showing We’re Probably Alone in the Universe (Study) Jun 26, 2018
  • The Latest Xbox Update Might Bring Keyboard and Mouse Support on the Console Jun 26, 2018
  • Researchers Invent Miraculous Plaster that Effectively Treats Oral Ulcers Jun 25, 2018

Florida Manatees and Green Sea Turtles Saved from Extinction

Jan 17, 2016 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

Email, RSS Follow

Florida manateesIt appears that Florida manatees and green sea turtles have been saved from extinction, since their population is finally experiencing an upward trend following a dramatic decline.

West Indian manatees (sometimes referred to as “sea cows”) are considered an “indicator species” given the fact that their population trends are believed to be indicative of the health of the entire local ecosystem.

The aquatic species scientifically known as Trichechus manatus is actually is divided into 2 subspecies, the Antillean manatee and the Florida manatee, the latter having been declared the official marine mammal associated with the Sunshine State back in 1975.

Even so, despite being among Florida’s symbols, the manatee has remained seriously imperiled, being protected thanks to the 1973 Endangered Species Act, and the 1978 Sanctuary Act.

Now, it seems the herbivorous species, whose sightings used to be wrongly believed to be mermaid apparitions in the past, is finally on the heels of recovery.

Following a thorough analysis conducted across a period of 12 months, representatives of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have announced on January 7 that the marine mammal’s status will be downgraded, being listed as “threatened” instead of “endangered”.

The same announcement was also made concerning Florida’s green sea turtles, whose population has also been growing in recent years, the number of nests climbing from 198 in 2001, to 14,152 in 2015.

When a species is considered “endangered”, this means that it is deeply susceptible to going extinct in the immediate future, across its entire habitat or across extensive areas.

In contrast, being classified as “threatened” means that the species has a high probability of being endangered at some point in the future.

The reason why West Indian manatees no longer raise significant concerns among environmentalists is because their numbers have been escalating, and conservation measures appear to have been successful.

While the Florida manatee population had been estimated at a mere 1,267 animals back in 1991, now it has climbed to over 6,300, the equivalent of a 500% increment.

As a result, the total number of West Indian manatees across the globe has reached approximately 13,000 individuals, the upward trend being treated as a gladdening sign by wildlife specialists.

According to Michael Bean, counselor of the assistant secretary for the Department of Fish, Wildlife ant Parks, this resurgence can be attributed to the fact that the species is now facing fewer threats than before.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, working in conjunction with the federal Fish and Wildlife Service have set up approximately 50 manatees sanctuaries, these protection zones functioning as safe havens against boat collisions (the most significant mortality factor associated with human activities), fishing gear accidents, habitat loss etc.

Moreover, Coast Guard patrols have ensured that such areas are actually respected by anglers and boaters, with trespassing attempts being promptly deterred.

Now that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has established that Florida manatees and green sea turtles aren’t as imperiled as before, the proposal to alter their status on the Endangered Species list has been made official on January 8, when it appeared in the Federal Register.

Unless contested in the following 90 days, the decision will be enforced starting from April 7. Even so, as wildlife specialists insist, this doesn’t mean that conservation efforts will suddenly be halted from that point onward.

In fact, such measures will be just as strict and extensive as before, in order to ensure that these two species remain out of harm’s way in the following decades as well.

On the other hand, critics of this initiative, such as Llewellyn Ehrhart, vertebrate zoologist at Central Florida University, warn that downgrading the status of the Florida manatees and of the green sea turtles will cause the public to be less preoccupied with ensuring the survival of these animals, and less willing to fund charities supporting such conservation projects.

Image Source: Flickr

Email, RSS Follow

Filed Under: Science

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 11 other subscribers

Recent Articles

Starbucks coffee.

California Family to Sue Starbucks over Drinking Coffee with Blood

Feb 11, 2018 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

uber app

Portland Officials Learned Uber Activated Software to Deceive Ride Service Regulators

Sep 16, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

tesla model s

Tesla’s Free Software Upgrade for Drivers Affected by Irma to Expire on Saturday

Sep 12, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

hurricane aftermath

Companies Assess the Economic Toll of Two Hurricanes Hitting the U.S.

Sep 11, 2017 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

chipotle restaurant

Chipotle Announced Nationwide Launch for Famous Cheese Sauce, Queso

Sep 6, 2017 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

bitcoin coins

China Is the First Nation to React to Initial Coin Offerings

Sep 4, 2017 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

people sheltering from flood

Best Buy Gives Its Apologies for Water Price Gouging after Hurricane Harvey

Sep 2, 2017 By Graziella Paone Leave a Comment

uber driver

Uber Will Quit Surveillance Feature after Riders End Their Trips

Aug 31, 2017 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

uber car

Uber Introduces New Flexible Driver Benefits

Aug 24, 2017 By Graziella Paone Leave a Comment

mountain view

Interior Department Kills Study on Health Hazards of Appalachian Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine

Aug 23, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

volkswagen minibus

Volkswagen Is Bringing Back the Sassy ID Buzz Minibus in Electric Version

Aug 21, 2017 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

howard schultz interview

Starbucks CEO Speaks out about Charlottesville Violence

Aug 19, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

michael o'leary

Ryanair CEO Opposes Collaboration between Lufthansa and Insolvent Rival Air Berlin

Aug 18, 2017 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

aldi logo

Aldi Distances Itself from Competitors with New Grocery Delivery System

Aug 14, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

Related Articles

  • Blood moon appearing big on the night sky

    Tonight, the Blood Moon Coincides with the Longest Lunar Eclipse of the Century

    Jun 27, 2018
  • The Milky Way seen from Earth

    Researchers Reassess the Fermi Paradox, Showing We’re Probably Alone in the Universe (Study)

    Jun 26, 2018
  • Space junk orbiting around Earth

    Researchers Launch the First Satellite that Picks Up Space Junk from Earth’s Orbit

    Jun 25, 2018
  • Stonehenge at the sunset

    The Theorem of Pythagoras Might Have Been Behind the Building of Stonehenge

    Jun 22, 2018
  • Portrait of Barack Obama in the White House

    Newly Discovered Underwater Fossil Gets Named After Obama (Study)

    Jun 20, 2018
  • Chris Hadfield during his traditional astronaut photoshoot

    Astronaut Chris Hadfield Doesn’t Think Humans Will Get to Mars Too Soon

    Jun 18, 2018
  • Opportunity Rover on the surface of Mars

    NASA’s Opportunity Rover Is Struggling with a Severe Dust Storm on Mars

    Jun 12, 2018
  • Planets orbiting around a red dwarf star

    The Kepler Satellite Spots New Solar System with Planets the Size of Earth

    Jun 11, 2018
  • Rocket launching into space from a cosmodrome

    Russian Astronauts Explain Why They Urinate on a Tire Before Getting Launched into Space

    Jun 8, 2018
  • Pluto as seen during the New Horizons mission

    Researchers Spot Interesting Methane Dunes on Pluto’s Icy Surface (Study)

    Jun 5, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Science
  • Technology
  • U.S.

Copyright © 2021RegalTribune.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.