Suitable habitat for the manatee must provide 4
basic elements:
Food
Manatees can eat up to
10% of their body weight of vegetation daily. With that in mind, manatees must
have a suitable habitat with an abundance of aquatic plants to sustain all the
manatees in the area.
Water
Manatee intake water
occurs while eating aquatic plants as well as drinking. Manatees will travel
considerable distances for fresh water.
Space
Manatees require space
to move about. Being migratory, the space required by manatees is influenced by
seasonal change. Travel corridors, or passageways (rivers, waterways, etc.) are
necessary for the manatee to move back and forth between summer and winter
habitats.
Shelter
Manatees must have a
safe, protected area - away from harassment, boat traffic, strong current,
etc.