G7_The Manatee – An Endangered Icon_Above grade level_02

“Brrrr!” shouted one young man as he edged his way off the dock and into the water. His friends all laugh at his comment. They know the water is not really cold, just cooler than water at 80 degree or higher you may find in a Florida swimming pool. In fact, it is the year-round “warm” water that makes this such a special place.

As all of the friends slide into the water, they also feel the rush of cool water into their wet suits. Even with the wet suits, the first few seconds in the water is uncomfortable. Fortunately, a wet suit fits tight against the skin, so your body heat warms the thin layer of water quickly. Very soon, the temperature of the water is no longer a factor, and the group can get to their much-awaited task.

 

The group inserts the snorkels into their mouths. They start swimming with many other Florida animals.
One of the animals—the manatee—face many threats, from boat collisions to red tides. Regardless of the type of threat, all the threats have one thing in common: human misconduct. 

The goal of these friends is to start a campaign to help save the manatee as well as other threatened and endangered species. They want to start with a campaign at their school to educate other students about threatened and endangered species found in Florida. They also want to find ways they can work to help save these animals.

A threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered in the very near future. An endangered species is one that is, or soon may be, in immediate danger of extinction. For a species to receive this classification, it must be listed on a Federal list of threatened and endangered species. Some of these species currently on the list are the American alligator, the Florida panther, the American crocodile, and of course, the manatee.