Presenter: Audrey Dayton
Authors: Audrey Dayton
Faculty Advisor: Frederick White
Institution: Utah Valley University
The Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) lives in the most northern range of any manatee subspecies. As a result, Florida manatees are exposed to cooler water temperatures in the winter than their southern relatives, which makes them vulnerable to cold stress (CSS) related illness and death. Before Florida was colonized, the state was 60% wetlands, providing ample warm-water winter refuges for the manatees. Today, the majority of those wetlands have been drained for development. From the 1940’s through the 1970’s, several coal-burning power plants were introduced throughout Florida. As these plants commenced operation, manatees began aggregating at these sites, as the heated water discharged by the plants created warm-water channels for the manatees to take refuge in during the winter. They also expanded the range of the Florida manatee even further north, because previously uninhabitable areas became temperate enough for the gentle creatures to thrive. Manatees develop site-fidelity to their winter habitats, returning to the same location each year. Now, 80 years after the first power plants started being built, over half of the Florida manatee population relies on the power plant effluents for survival. The relationship, which from the outside may appear harmless or even mutually beneficial, has many negative implications. This review of scientific literature will introduce and define several concerns stemming from the manatee and power plant dynamic, including changes in manatee migratory behavior and sporadic plant closures which lead to manatee CSS cases and mortality. It will also explore negative environmental impacts of the plants, including climate change concerns, directly and indirectly harming manatees. Most of the original power plants are nearing the end of their operational lives, raising concerns for the future of most of Florida’s manatee population. This review will lay the groundwork for future research, management applications and policy decisions.