Dugongs and manatees face chronic welfare threats from boat propellers, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat loss in their shallow coastal habitats.
Individual manatee and dugong welfare is dominated by traumatic boat strikes and entanglement. Propeller injuries cause severe lacerations, bone damage, and chronic pain for surviving animals. Cold stress syndrome causes manatees to crowd into warm water outflows of power plants — a welfare solution that creates dependency on industrial infrastructure. Seagrass decline from water quality degradation forces longer foraging trips, increasing energy expenditure and boat encounter risk. Individual welfare and conservation are deeply intertwined for these slow-breeding species.