1 James Bridges and Sebastian Rios Enc 1101 216 December 03, 2008 Research Paper So far, manatee deaths have decreased since 2007 when 317 died; 73 from boat strikes, 52 from red tide, and the remainder from other human, natural or undetermined causes. Of the total deaths through September of this year, 69 died from boat strikes, two from floodgates or canal locks, six from “other human” causes, 81 from perinatal, (which is when the manatee is 2 Many people accredit the amount of manatee deaths due to boating accidents to the lack of proper signs. The signs have been damaged by hurricanes, deteriorated from age, or in disrepair due to vandalism. The FWC is going to work on replacing all of the signs in all of the major waterways in the Southwest Florida area. Lt. Mitts Mravic of the FWC’s Collier County office says, “We want to protect the manatees. It’s all about slowing down vessel traffic in areas where these animals frequent to avoid additional manatee fatalities.” (New Signs, 2007) 3 4 Works Cited This article looks at the amount of manatee deaths since 2007 to present. It talks about the number of manatee deaths reported by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. Boat strikes are one of the highest causes. This article talks about that boat strikes are one of the most common causes for manatee deaths. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) talks about the lack or deterioration of manatee signs. “Save the Manatee Club.” Save the Manatee Club. 2008. Save the Manatee Club, Inc. 22 Nov 2008. This website gives a large amount of information about manatees and what makes them such special mammals. Also, it explains why they migrate to Florida in the winter.