Manatees Spotted in a Record High Number- Abbey Winiger

SUMMARY- There's some good news out of Florida: For the third straight year, spotters counted more than 6,000 manatees navigating Florida's waters. An aerial survey ending earlier this month had a preliminary total of 6,620 creatures, compared to 6,250 in 2016 and 6,063 the year before. That's a far cry from the estimated 1,267 manatees seen in 1991. The manatees, of course, have to be seen to be counted and their exact numbers are unknown. But this year's 15 observers were helped by warm, sunny weather and good visibility, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission said Monday. The agency early last year proposed making the change to a less serious status because of "significant improvements" in the manatee population and habitat conditions. The West Indian manatee includes the Florida manatee.

ANALYSIS/SYNTHESIS- Many animals have been declared extinct when they still lay in the land. The number can be miscalculated each year to misguided information, census taking, and the data the use. Before this article I had not heard about the manatees being spotted in record numbers. This article was written by Phil Gast on Wednesday, 22. He wrote the article to inform the public about this amazing discovery. This story reminds me of endangered species around the world and how these animals are becoming extinct. 


http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/20/us/florida-manatee-count-endangered-species/index.html