Florida's manatees faced near-record deaths for young sea cows in 2025, but also saw seagrass recovery, new legal protections, and scientific breakthroughs offering hope for the future.

A manatee glides along the spring run to the St. Johns River at Blue Springs State Park. Marjie Lambert mlambert@miamiherald.com Slightly more manatees died this year in Florida than in previous years ...

Lee County leads Florida in manatee deaths from boat strikes in 2025, with 14 recorded incidents. Statewide, manatee deaths from boat collisions are above the five-year average, totaling 97 for the ...

Christopher Columbus gets credit for the first written record of manatees in North America, ones he saw near the Dominican Republic in 1492. West Indian manatees, also called Florida manatees, are ...

Slightly more manatees died this year in Florida than in previous years, although the number was not as high as that in 2021 and 2022, when a record die-off prompted widespread alarm. A total of 587 ...