Manatees are slow-moving herbivores particularly vulnerable to boat propeller strikes, with chronic injuries affecting a significant proportion of the surviving population.
Manatees that survive boat strikes carry propeller wounds that cause chronic pain and may impair swimming efficiency for life. The near-universal scarring of surviving manatees indicates the scale of injury. Speed zone enforcement during winter months when manatees aggregate in warm water offers the most direct welfare protection, reducing both fatal and non-fatal strike rates.