The manatee spends much of its time in Florida rivers and estuaries.
The manatee, a large aquatic mammal about 10 feet long at adulthood, lives in warm, shallow waters, including rivers, bays and estuaries near coastlines. Consequently, they spend a lot of time in Florida waters. The term biotic factors refers to living plants and animals in a given habitat as well as their byproducts like waste material or secretions. Since humans are living things, human presence and byproducts in the environment are also biotic factors.
Underwater Plant Life
Over 4,000 species of identified plants in exist in Florida. Some of the more common and important submersed water plants in the state include tapegrass, sago pondweed, fanwort, bladderwort and coontail. These plants exist primarily underwater, though some, like fanwort, will flower above the surface. Coontail, however, will actually flower and pollinate under the water. Plants like these help filter the water to keep the chemical balance properly maintained and remove pollutants from the manatee's environment.
Emersed Plant Life
Emersed plants are those that root under the water but have much of their structure, including stems, flowers and leaves above the surface. Manatees therefore come in contact with the lower portion of such plants. Cattails, for example, are common. Flowering plants like arrowheads and fire flag also root in calm shallow water where manatees frequently reside. Duck potato and lemon bacopa are further examples.
Food Plants
Manatees feed on largely on aquatic grasses, though other plants make up their diet as well. In fact, there is a variety of water grass called, manatee grass, which is a favorite food. They ingest turtle grass, hydrilla and water lettuce. They also consume water hyacinths, which are invasive plants in the Florida waterways. The plant is considered a pernicious weed and therefore manatees perform an important biological balancing function when they eat it.
Animal Factors
Manatees in Florida share their habitat with many other animals, from countless insects and other invertebrates, to a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians and fish. Especially common are turtles, snakes, frogs and even alligators. Humans are another factor in the manatee environment. Boats, are of course, aboitic factors, but living humans introduce them to the manatee environment and collisions with boats can harm or kill the creatures. Humans often swim with manatees as well, making for an intrusive interaction.
