Manatee Blues by Laurie Halse Anderson Page B

rubbing against rocks, floating branches, ropes, and the bottoms of boats. They might be doing this to leave their scent so other manatees know they’ve been there. Or they might be doing it because it feelsgood. Whatever the reason, this habit is dangerous because it brings manatees to the surface where boats may be.
    Nature calls. Of course, manatees also die from natural causes. If the water gets too cold, they go into hypothermic shock and die. A few years ago, an algae bloom called
red tide
killed several hundred manatees by poisoning their nervous systems.
FOLLOW THAT MANATEE
    Locating and keeping track of the number of manatees is very important. Researchers observe migration patterns, make notes about new calves, track rehabilitated manatees, and take regular population counts.
    Tiny bubbles. Some researchers use equipment called a
hydrophone
—a type of underwater microphone—to track manatees under the water. With their diet of vegetation and their superlong intestines, manatees produce a large amount of gas. When it’s released, it creates a lot of tiny bubbles in the water. Scientists use the hydrophone to listen for the bubbles. And where there are bubbles, there will likely be manatees!
    Show you scars. Once manatees are located, scientists try to identify them. Researchers can tell manatees apart by the scars they have from boat accidents. This “scar catalogue” is constantly being updated with pictures taken by researchers and volunteers. The catalogue is an important tool for tracking manatees and learning more about them.
    Phone home. Some manatees wear a tracking device fastened around their peduncles. Signals from the device are sent to satellites orbiting the earth. Scientists receive the satellite information and can track where the manatees are swimming. This teaches us about migratory paths, activity habits, and where manatees like to live.
    Playtime. By tracking their migration patterns, researchers have learned that manatees are semi-social animals. Except for hanging out with their mothers when they are young, manatees spend most of the year alone. This changes in the wintertime, when manateesgather together in warm springs, sometimes in groups of 100 or more. During these gatherings the manatees “play” together. They nuzzle each other, play follow-the-leader, and bodysurf. In follow-the-leader, the pack mimics the lead manatee exactly. They twist, dive, roll, and come up for a breath one right after another, squeaking and chirping.
THE BIGGEST THREAT
    Researchers and volunteers work hard to help manatees, but humans are still the manatees’ biggest threat. The warm waters that shelter manatees also attract people who build houses close to the water and drive motorboats. Boat strikes cause many manatee injuries and death. Much work is being done to educate boaters and residents about the dangers they pose to manatees, but there’s still a long way to go.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
    Even if you’ve never seen a manatee before, you can help protect these gentle giants by joining the Save the Manatee Club. The club (SMC) sponsors the very popular Adopt-a-Manatee ® program. When you adopt a manatee, you will receive a photo of your manatee, an adoption certificate, information about manatees, and the club newsletter. Your adoption fee will be used to help pay for research, rehabilitation, and education programs. For more information, contact:
    Save the Manatee Club
    500 North Maitland Avenue
    Maitland, FL 32751
    www.savethemanatee.org