Manatees, the beloved Florida creatures, are seeing a population uptick. The marine mammal will likely endure for the next 100 years, says a team of veteran manatee scientists at the US Geological Survey and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

The study‘s scientists came to the conclusion after discovering current manatee populations are high, adult manatee longevity is good, and Florida has available habitat to support the marine mammals’ growing population,.

The good

Manatees survival success in Florida is due to a number of wildlife protections issued over the years.

General hunting protections were first issued in the 1800s. Then, in the 1950s, power plant construction produced warm-water effluent winter habitat for manatees. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 added other protections, such as boat speed zones. And recently, a manatee rescue and rehabilitation program helps find and treat injured manatees.

“I don’t think we can identify the exact individual contribution of all of these programs, but the overall result has been good for the Florida manatee population,” says Michael C. Runge, Ph.D. and research ecologist at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

Although the manatee population appears safe, scientists stress that people and protection organizations need to stay cognizant of new and old threats.

The bad

People love manatees and want to see them thrive, but the marine mammals live in shallow waters near the coast people like to visit.

“The current growth and resilience of the manatee population provides a sense of relief that there is not an imminent risk of extinction, but we will need to continue to pay attention to the threats they face,” Runge explains.

Luckily, Runge doesn’t think people will lose interest. There are multiple federal and state laws that protect manatees, and manatees are a visible and important part of the coastal ecosystem in Florida. Citizens care about manatees well-being, Runge says.

The future

Florida manatee population dynamics are better than nearly any other marine mammal. This is partly because manatee data sets are rich—the proximity of manatees to people makes them easier to study.

This ease has helped scientists facilitate new analytical methods. Data collected about manatees are applicable to other marine mammal species.

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“Finding Dory” the sequel to the popular 2003 hit “Finding Nemo” has been rewritten to support the release of captive marine animals.

Originally set to end with the aquatic cast all moving into a marine-based theme park, the writers and producers of “Finding Dory” have now altered the film’s ending, and the recent documentary “Blackfish” may have something to do with it, reports the Los Angeles Times, “[with] questions about the health of whales in captivity, the studio decided to make substantial changes to the “Dory” script.”

“Blackfish” is a powerful documentary that tells the story of a SeaWorld trainer killed by Tilikum, the largest orca whale in captivity. Several of his former SeaWorld trainers are featured in the film and share candid first-hand experiences of what it’s like keeping captive marine animals in such unnatural environments, and why it’s likely that Tilikum turned on his trainer.

According to the Times, after viewing “Blackfish,” both Pixar’s chief creative officer and “Finding Dory” director met with “Blackfish” director, Gabriela Cowperthwaite and ultimately reworked the film’s ending, giving the characters a choice as to whether or not they want to stay at the marine park. “They told Gabriela they didn’t want to look back on this film in 50 years and have it be their ‘Song of the South,'” a reference to the 1946 Disney musical that was widely viewed to be racist.”

Another factor may be the actress playing Dory, talk show host and comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, who has been an outspoken advocate for animal rights. While she hasn’t confirmed whether or not she voiced any concern over the original film ending and its message about captive marine animals, it’s likely she’s more inclined to see the characters swim out to sea rather than around and around in a salinated bath tub.

Related stories

Movie Review: ‘Blackfish’–SeaWorld’s Six-Ton Killer Secret

Dolphins in India are Recognized as “Non-Human Persons,” Still More Hoops to Jump Through Though

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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