青青草视频 scientist discovers manatees are not just cruisin鈥 the coast
Contact: Meg Henderson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擩.R.R. Tolkien once wrote 鈥淣ot all those who wander are lost,鈥 but West Indian manatees found moving from Florida up the Atlantic seaboard or west into the northern Gulf of Mexico are sometimes believed to be lost or just searching for seasonal forage. Now, a scientist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station is adding to that data, demonstrating Mississippi鈥檚 coastal habitats support reproductive activity and longer-term residency for this mammal species.
Holley Muraco, an assistant research professor in Mississippi State鈥檚 Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the university鈥檚 Coastal Research and Extension Center, analyzed rare video footage of active mating behavior, captured in the fall of 2024 at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Moss Point. The video, shot from an uncrewed aerial system, caught a group of three manatees known as a 鈥渕ating herd鈥 in action.
鈥淒espite their chunky appearance, manatees鈥 fat provides limited thermoregulation abilities,鈥 Muraco said. 鈥淢anatees have an evolutionary biology to seek out a range where survival is possible, and they have been documented traveling farther from Florida and staying longer on the Gulf Coast than in the past.鈥
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In the winter months, aggregations of manatees have historically sought out warm-water refuges in Florida鈥檚 springs and areas where power plants discharge warm water. Muraco explained that, although Florida is where they typically overwinter, these 鈥渟ea cows鈥 are tied directly to specific habitat conditions鈥攚ater temperatures above 68 degrees and plentiful supplies of seagrass and other submerged aquatic vegetation鈥攔egardless of geographic location.
Although active mating herds are regularly sighted in the northern Gulf, the high-resolution drone video footage allowed Muraco to observe and meticulously analyze mating behaviors and interactions for the first time in turbid Mississippi waters. The use of this technology holds promise for studying and discovering more about these elusive creatures.
Muraco鈥檚 study references data collected by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab鈥檚 Manatee Sighting Network. Since 2007, the network has documented over 8,000 sightings, tagging and tracking manatees in the northern Gulf from the Florida panhandle to the U.S./Mexico border.
DISL Senior Marine Scientist Ruth H. Carmichael noted the sighting network has documented increasing numbers of manatees in the region during the last 20 years.
鈥淭he combination of population recovery and long-term environmental change is likely driving greater manatee numbers outside of Florida,鈥 Carmichael said.
Muraco soon will launch a project in collaboration with the Grand Bay NERR to identify thermal refuges within the reserve. She also hopes to investigate waters near power plants along the Mississippi coast as potential manatee habitats.
Understanding the behavior of these 鈥済entle giants鈥 is critical for environmental and wildlife conservation and for boater safety. The greatest cause of manatee mortality occurs when the aquatic mammal surfaces to breathe and collides with a fast-moving boat. This risk is heightened by low visibility in the turbid waters along the Mississippi coast.
鈥淲e know from this study that these manatees are not just idly passing through Mississippi鈥檚 coastal waters. We know our habitats are supporting their health sufficiently to reproduce. Sighting this active mating herd is evidence that there are more manatees in the area, and our observations highlight the need for greater monitoring and conservation efforts here,鈥 Muraco said.
The public may report sightings or manatees in distress to the DISL鈥檚 Manatee Sighting Network anytime by phone at 1-866-493-5803, online at manatee.disl.edu, or email to manatee@disl.org. Manatee habitat area signage is provided free of charge to waterfront residents, municipalities and agencies throughout Mississippi and Alabama.
Mississippi State鈥檚 Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station conducts research to enhance coastal environments and habitats through a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnected health of people, animals, plants and their shared environment. As a sentinel species, manatees serve as indicators of environmental quality, with their health reflecting the overall condition of coastal ecosystems. Learn more about MAFES at . 听
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