Manatee

Personal Statement: I strapped on my waders and began walking toward a manatee carcass. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) marine mammal biologist proceeded to instruct me on how to perform my first field necropsy. Through this research experience I got to understand the internal anatomy of a manatee, outside of textbooks. Therefore, research allows me the opportunity to tangibly investigate my curiosity. The manatee has always sparked my curiosity because humans are their only major predator, leading to human-wildlife conflict. My undergraduate research and volunteer experience focus solely on the conservation of manatees, demonstrating my desire to become an expert on this topic in my graduate research. Intellectual Merit/Relevant Background: While an undergraduate at George Mason University (GMU), I was selected to participate in the Students as Scholars’ Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. This…

The Florida Manatee, aka Sea Cow, or West Indian Manatee, is found in 7 to 10 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean during spring, summer, and fall (National Geographic, 2016). Later, in the winter you can find them near power plants, and in natural spring water that sustains temperatures above 68 degrees Fahrenheit because manatees cannot live in water below this temperature. This fascinating herbivore can live in salt water and fresh water. The endangered Florida…

There are many problems with Magill’s argument in his chapter. The first issue, which is exhibited in the first two paragraphs, is how emotional he is about the things he says. Magill continuously defaces organizations like Florida Fish and Wildlife who has real impacts on manatee conservation. Obviously, these organizations do everything in their power to help the manatees and the fact that Magill so vehemently disagrees with this just negates his argument. In addition, cold stress syndrome…

Being awarded a MOTE Manatee Research Program internship would be an accomplishment that has the potential to endow skills beneficial to my career and educational goals. With this internship I will learn the techniques required to successfully photo-ID manatees, which involves both fieldwork and office proficiencies. Although I look forward to gaining marine mammal fieldwork skills, entering the data into various databases will contribute to the conservation and management of the Florida…

Sirenia which contain the dugong and the abruptly extinct Steller’s sea cow. Manatees are large and come in varying colors of gray and brown. They are marine mammals but unlike a dolphin or whale the manatee has a flat, paddle like tail. They have two front flippers which each has at least three nails on it, another quality distinguishing it from it’s marine mammal brethren. They are distantly related to the elephant and it is easy to tell when looking at them. They have a big soft snouth with…

Manatee School for the Arts. What is there not to like I ask? My name is Kendrick Belony, and I am writing to you as an eighth grade student who has attended MSA for the past two years and has come to the conclusion that Manatee School for the Arts is the school that fits my needs and interests the best, and I don’t think I would do better anywhere else. I Wish to attend Manatee School for the Arts High School because I can have a unique education, and have a broader range of opportunities in…

If you are looking for a vacation spot with lots of beaches, then you need to check out Anna Maria Island. This beautiful island that is nothing short of a slice of paradise is the home of six beautiful beaches. Take a look at everything these lovely beaches have to offer. Location Anna Maria Island, also known as Anna Maria Key, is a barrier island that is located on the western coast of Central Florida in Manatee County. The Gulf of Mexico is to the west of the island, Longboat Pass is to…

The Historical Predation of the West Indian Manatee The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), also known as the sea cow; was listed as an endangered species by U.S Fish and Wildlife Services in 1972. However, since then it has been downgraded from an endangered species to a threatened species (Heavy Poaching in Prime Habitat: The Conservation Status of the West Indian Manatee). The main reasons behind their decline; are pollution in the water, powerboats, and slow reproduction. As a result,…

long walks along the ocean, don’t ask me. Maybe they were nice, relaxing ways to clear his head. Maybe they weren’t. But that is irrelevant. One morning, he was walking alongside the shore he saw a manatee. That’s it. That night he was on Equine-Mingle, looking for love. Last year, he had been in a relationship with a zebra named Zanzibar. (Why she was named Zanzibar, don’t ask me. Maybe her parents liked that name. Maybe they didn’t. But that is irrelevant.) They had everything, but one day,…

The Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. §1531 et seq., requires that the Corps ensure that manatees and manatee habitat will not be negatively affected by the proposed project. The application received from NASA Environmental Assurance Branch fails to state protective measures they will implement to evade adverse impacts to manatees. The conditions to follow, found within the previously referenced document by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1979, will offset any major direct or indirect injury or…