Manatees are gentle, slow-moving marine megafauna whose welfare is severely threatened by boat collisions, habitat loss, and cold stress in Florida and Caribbean waters.
Manatee welfare is severely compromised by boat strikes, which cause acute trauma including deep propeller lacerations and blunt force injuries. Animals that survive strikes often suffer from chronic wounds that impair swimming and feeding. Cold stress syndrome causes lethargy, skin lesions, and immune suppression — a slow, distressing process when manatees cannot access warm water. The 2021-2022 starvation event caused by seagrass collapse in Indian River Lagoon forced wildlife managers to implement emergency feeding programs — an unprecedented intervention reflecting the scale of suffering involved. Reduced boating speeds in manatee habitat areas significantly reduce strike mortality and represent one of the most direct welfare improvements available.