An occasional series where Mongabay’s founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Few ...

Despite their rotund appearance, manatees lack any significant fat stores and rely on warm waters to stay comfortable and ...

Gentle and playful marine mammals, Florida manatees have come to represent the amazing biodiversity of Florida. With their large size, slow-moving nature, and fondness of seagrass, it's easy to see ...

National Manatee Appreciation Day was marked on Wednesday, celebrating the gentle giants that congregate off the Florida coast. The herbivores glide through coastal and riverine areas, feeding on ...

SOUTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A manatee was rescued in Marathon on Thursday after being injured by what’s believed to be a boat strike — all while a brush fire in the area made the effort ...

Florida Tech students are developing a robotic manatee, called "Mechanatee," to study real manatees without disturbing them. The robot will mimic the movements and communication of manatees to ...

Floridians love manatees. The marine animals, lovingly known as "sea cows" or "gentle giants," spend the winters swimming in rivers, bays, canals, estuaries and coastal areas from Nov. 15 to March 31.