Lesson 9:Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive

myakkariver.netPhoto credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS

Thermal RegulationAll mammals are “warm

blooded,” including manatees. Mammals have developed different ways to keep themselves at comfortable temperatures.

How do you stay warm in cold weather?

How do you stay cool in the summer?

Photo credit: B. Dunnigan

Florida Sea Grant

Temperature Regulation in Aquatic MammalsAnimals that live in water usually spend more energy

keeping warm than those on land.Heat loss in water is 27 times more than in air

Can you name some mammals that live in water?

Humpback WhalePhoto credit: E. Green

Stellar Sea LionPhoto credit: NOAA

WalrusPhoto credit: NOAA

WhalesPhoto credit: NOAA How do these

guys stay warm?

• Thick Blubber• Can be > 1 ft thick!!!

• Circulatory System• Food

Photo credit: NOAA

What is blubber?Which animals have blubber?

Blubber is…A thick layer of fat that

provides insulation.Like a jacket to keep animals

warm.Which animals do not have

blubber?ManateesSea Otters

WhalesDolphinsSea LionsSealsWalrusPolar Bears

Photo by M. McGuire

Sea Otter

Humpback WhaleNOAA Photo

Polar BearNOAA Photo

What keeps a walrus warm?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42706000/jpg/_42706751_3walrus.jpg

• Lots and lots of blubber (1/3 of their body weight!)

• Move blood away from skin (which helps keep them warm on the inside)

• “Cuddle” with other walrus (share body heat)

Photo credit: Joel Garlich-Miller, USFWS

These seals are warming up…

Photo credit: M. McGuire

By laying on the rocks, and in the sun, these sea lions canwarm up by getting outof the water.

The light-coloredanimals have dried off.

…and these are cooling off.

By lifting their flippers out of the water, sea lions can cool themselves. Blood in the flippers is right under the skin and cools rapidly in the cold air.

Sea Lions use behavior to help with thermal regulation.

Photo credit: M. McGuire

Photo credit: M. McGuire

How about ADORABLE

Sea Otters?

• Like manatees, Sea Otters have no blubber

• Unlike manatees, Sea Otters have the thickest hair known (>1,000,000 hairs per square inch)

• Sea Otters have a layer of air that forms a “dry suit” to keep their skin dry and warm when in the water.

Photo credits: M. McGuire

So, how do our manatees stay warm?

Photo credit: Jim Reid, USFWS

Manatees get cold and can die when water temperatures drop below 68°F.

Manatees do not have blubber.Manatees must migrate to warm water to stay warm

in the winter.Mother manatees teach migration routes to their

calves.Natural warm water springs (like Blue Spring State

Park) are very important to help manatees stay warm.

Some power plants release warm water.

Photo credit: M. McGuire

What is a spring?A fresh water pool flowing

from Florida’s aquifer.

What is the temperature of Blue Spring?

Does the temperature of the spring water change throughout the year?

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Photo credits: M. McGuire

Why are power plants important to manatees?

Big Bend Power PlantPhoto credit: Wknight94, Wikimedia Commons

Why are power plants important to manatees?

Manatees migrate to the same place each winter.

Power plants keep water warm throughout the year.

Manatees learn to go to power plants to find warm water, and do not learn to find natural warm water refuges (like Blue Spring State Park).

Old power plants can get shut down, then young manatees don’t know where to go in the winter to stay warm!

Photo credit: Amanderson2, Flickr

Photo credit: Amy the Nurse, Flickr

Why do manatees need to stay warm?

Photo credit: M. McGuire

Why do manatees migrate to Florida springs each winter?

Photo credit: M. McGuire

ReviewWhat are some ways that marine mammals stay warm

when the weather is cold?How are sea otters different from most other marine

mammals?How are manatees different from most other marine

mammals?Where are the best places in Florida to look for manatees

in the winter?