manatees are marine mammals that graze on sea grasses.They grow to 15 feet in length and can weigh up to 1500 pounds.Once they were found throughout the world's oceans.Today,however,manatees exist in limited number and only in certain tropical and subtropical waters. In Florida,the manatees population number only about 1900.Efforts by state and federal agencies and private organization to protect manatees have occurred for many years.
Laws have been passed that make it illegal to hunt,kill,capture,or harass manatees . These laws include the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Floeida Manatee Sanctuary Act 1978. In spite of such laws, humman factors accounted for 44 percent of manatee deaths between 1976 and 1999.