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Manatees: Surviving in Warm Water

Learn how manatees regulate their body temperature and why they need warm water to survive. Discover the unique ways marine mammals stay warm and the importance of natural warm water springs and power plants in their migration.

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Manatees: Surviving in Warm Water

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  1. Lesson 9:Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive myakkariver.net Photo credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS

  2. Thermal Regulation • All mammals are “warm blooded,” including manatees. Mammals have developed different ways to keep themselves at comfortable temperatures. • How do you stay warm in cold weather? • How do you stay cool in the summer? Photo credit: B. Dunnigan Florida Sea Grant

  3. Temperature Regulation in Aquatic Mammals • Animals that live in water usually spend more energy keeping warm than those on land. • Heat loss in water is 27 times more than in air • Can you name some mammals that live in water? Humpback Whale Photo credit: E. Green Walrus Photo credit: NOAA Stellar Sea Lion Photo credit: NOAA

  4. Whales How do these guys stay warm? Photo credit: NOAA Photo credit: NOAA • Thick Blubber • Can be > 1 ft thick!!! • Circulatory System • Food

  5. What is blubber? Which animals have blubber? • Blubber is… • A thick layer of fat that provides insulation. • Like a jacket to keep animals warm. • Which animals do not have blubber? • Manatees • Sea Otters • Whales • Dolphins • Sea Lions • Seals • Walrus • Polar Bears Humpback Whale NOAA Photo Sea Otter Polar Bear NOAA Photo Photo by M. McGuire

  6. What keeps a walrus warm? • Lots and lots of blubber (1/3 of their body weight!) • Move blood away from skin (which helps keep them warm on the inside) • “Cuddle” with other walrus (share body heat) http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42706000/jpg/_42706751_3walrus.jpg Photo credit: Joel Garlich-Miller, USFWS

  7. These seals are warming up… By laying on the rocks, and in the sun, these sea lions can warm up by getting out of the water. The light-colored animals have dried off. Photo credit: M. McGuire

  8. …and these are cooling off. Sea Lions use behavior to help with thermal regulation. Photo credit: M. McGuire Photo credit: M. McGuire By lifting their flippers out of the water, sea lions can cool themselves. Blood in the flippers is right under the skin and cools rapidly in the cold air.

  9. How about ADORABLE Sea Otters? Photo credits: M. McGuire Like manatees,Sea Otters have no blubber Unlike manatees, Sea Otters have the thickest hair known (>1,000,000 hairs per square inch) Sea Otters have a layer of air that forms a “dry suit” to keep their skin dry and warm when in the water.

  10. So, how do our manatees stay warm? Photo credit: Jim Reid, USFWS

  11. Photo credit: M. McGuire Manatees get cold and can die when water temperatures drop below 68°F. • Manatees do not have blubber. • Manatees must migrate to warm water to stay warm in the winter. • Mother manatees teach migration routes to their calves. • Natural warm water springs (like Blue Spring State Park) are very important to help manatees stay warm. • Some power plants release warm water.

  12. What is a spring? • A fresh water pool flowing from Florida’s aquifer. • What is the temperature of Blue Spring? • Does the temperature of the spring water change throughout the year? e Photo credits: M. McGuire

  13. Why are power plants important to manatees? Big Bend Power Plant Photo credit: Wknight94, Wikimedia Commons

  14. Why are power plants important to manatees? • Manatees migrate to the same place each winter. • Power plants keep water warm throughout the year. • Manatees learn to go to power plants to find warm water, and do not learn to find natural warm water refuges (like Blue Spring State Park). • Old power plants can get shut down, then young manatees don’t know where to go in the winter to stay warm! Photo credit: Amy the Nurse, Flickr Photo credit: Amanderson2, Flickr

  15. Why do manatees need to stay warm? Photo credit: M. McGuire

  16. Why do manatees migrate to Florida springs each winter? Photo credit: M. McGuire

  17. Review • What are some ways that marine mammals stay warm when the weather is cold? • How are sea otters different from most other marine mammals? • How are manatees different from most other marine mammals? • Where are the best places in Florida to look for manatees in the winter?

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