Experts speak to growing support to ‘uplist’ manatees as endangered

According to the Marine Mammal Commission, the Florida manatee may get “uplisted” from threatened to endangered.

In April 2017, the Fish and Wildlife Service officially reclassified the sea cow from endangered to threatened.

Pat Rose, an aquatic biologist and the Director of the Save the Manatee Club said he and others fighting to protect against the sea cows strongly advised against the downgrade. Six years later, manatees have suffered.

“Much of what we were concerned might happen, in the meantime, did happen,” said Rose.

Algal blooms, loss of sea grass and starvation caused significant declines in the manatee population. Thousands over the years, 100 just in Lee County.

Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean Director at the Center for Biological Diversity said water pollution certainly didn’t help.

“It had devastating impacts for the entire species as a whole and particularly those populations on that coast, and unfortunately, that was entirely foreseeable,” said Bennett.

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While we can’t get the last six years back, Bennet and Rose are pleased the government is now taking the science seriously and considering another reclassification: back to endangered.

“What our hope is here is that this action will drive those resources towards this incredibly endangered species before it’s too late,” said Bennett.

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