Despite being downlisted from endangered to threatened back in 2017, manatee populations have declined dramatically over the last few years. In just Florida alone, nearly 2,000 manatees died between 2021 and 2022.
When manatees were listed under the Endangered Species Act, it led to a push to save the species from extinction. At one point, this conservation proved successful; populations increased by 500% over nearly two decades. But in recent years, over 20% of the remaining population has been lost again.
What are the biggest threats to manatees today?
