Manatees are herbivores, feeding on a large
variety of submerged, emergent, and floating plants. They can eat up to 10% of
their body weight in vegetation daily. Seagrass beds are important feeding
sites. Many of these coastal and estuarine feeding areas are particularly
vulenerable to destruction by dredge and fill activities, surface water run-off
from nearby construction sites or agricultural lands and herbicide spraying.
1999-2002
Salinity Profiles (PDF graph)
Grass Bed Maps for St. John's River,
Duval Co. 1997