Myakkariver.net Photo credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS

Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive

myakkariver.netPhoto credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS

Thermal RegulationAll mammals are warm

blooded, including manatees. Mammals have 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

Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water

Temperature Regulation in Marine Mammals

Animals that live in water spend more energy keeping warm than those on land.Heat loss in water is 27 times more

than in air

Humpback WhalePhoto credit: E. Green

Stellar Sea LionPhoto credit: NOAA

WalrusPhoto credit: NOAALesson 9: Manatees need warm water

WhalesPhoto credit: NOAA

How do they stay warm?

• Blubber (can be more than 1 foot thick!!!

• Circulatory System• Food

Photo credit: NOAA


What is blubber?Blubber is…..

A thick layer of fat.It acts like a jacket to keep animals

warm.Which animals have blubber?

Whales, Dolphins, Sea Lions, Seals, Walrus, Polar Bears

Which animals do not have blubber?ManateesSea Otters

Sea OtterPhoto credit: M. McGuire

Humpback WhalePhoto credit: NOAA

Polar BearPhoto credit: NOAALesson 9: Manatees need warm water

What keeps a walrus warm?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42706000/jpg/_42706751_3walrus.jpg

• Lots and lots of blubber • Move blood away from skin

(keeps them warm on the inside)• “Cuddle” with other walrus

Photo credit: Joel Garlich-Miller, USFWSLesson 9: Manatees need warm water

These sea lions are warming up…

Photo credit: M. McGuire

Sea lions can warm up by getting out of the water and lying on rocks in the sun.

The lighter colored animals have dried off.


And these are cooling off…

Sea lions can cool down by lifting their flippers out of the water. Blood in the flippers is right under the skin and cools quickly in the cold air.

Sea lions use behavior to help control their temperature.




What about sea otters?

• Sea otters have no blubber• Sea otters have the thickest

hair known (>1,000,000 hairs per square inch)

• Sea otters have a layer of air under their fur that keeps their skin dry and warm in the water.



How do manatees stay warm?Photo credit: Jim Reid, USFWS


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 winterMother manatees teach migration routes to their

calvesNatural warm water springs are very important to help

manatees stay warm.Some power plants release warm water



What is a spring?

Fresh water flowing from underground.

What temperature is spring water?

Does the temperature of the spring water change throughout the year?

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Photo credits: M. McGuire


Why are power plants important to manatees?

Tampa Bay Power PlantPhoto credit: Marilyn Conlon (Flickr)


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: Amanderson2


Why do manatees need to stay warm?



Why do manatees migrate to Florida springs each winter?



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?


Documents

Myakkariver.net Photo credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS