Manatees in captivity require vast warm-water spaces and social contact, making their welfare among the most challenging to achieve in aquarium settings.
Manatee welfare in captivity is shaped by the species requiring warm water, large spaces, and social contact that most facilities cannot adequately provide. Rehabilitation facilities housing injured manatees face the welfare challenge of providing recovery conditions that also prepare animals for wild release. Overcrowding in warm water refuges during cold events causes resource competition and injury. Captive manatees often form social bonds with human caregivers that must be carefully managed to avoid imprinting that would compromise release viability. The conservation significance of rehabilitation facilities is high given ongoing mortality from boat strikes and cold stress.