Wildlife in our Watersheds

Manatees:

Marine mammals, like manatees, migrating to the northern Gulf Coast are dependent on underwater plants, including seagrasses, that are found in shallow coastal waters.

Pensacola Bay

Manatees

Improving

The West Indian Manatee is a federally protected species with an estimated population of more than 6,500 individuals in the southeastern U.S. (USFWS). Manatees are commonly found in coastal and riverine areas of peninsular Florida and they migrate to the northern Gulf Coast during spring and summer, with peak sightings occurring June through August. They feed on seagrass and other aquatic plants in shallow marine and freshwater habitats.

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  • Manatees use our bays as a migratory corridor
  • Most sightings occurred close to the coast, but manatees have been seen as far north as Blackwater River, FL
  • Sightings increased after the start of Panhandle Manatee Program outreach efforts
  • Increased sightings are likely a combination of increased awareness and more manatees in the area 
  • Your sightings help support manatee conservation!

How can you help manatees?

  • Boat slow where seagrasses grow
    Seagrass beds are an important manatee food source. Boat with caution to avoid manatees and seagrass
  • Report sightings at www.panhandlemanatee.org 
    Researchers depend on data from the public to track manatee habits
  • Volunteer with Panhandle Manatee!
    Help protect manatees by educating residents and visitors
  • Do not feed or provide water to manatees
    Doing so can change their natural behavior, migration patterns, and increase the risk of injury
  • Give manatees space
    The best rule of thumb is to stay at least 100 feet away. Do not attempt to pet or swim with manatees
  • Properly discard used nets, fishing line, and trash
    Entanglement or ingestion of marine debris can be fatal to manatees
Pensacola Bay manatee sightings, 2007-2022. Data from Dauphin Island’s Manatee Sighting Network.
Total number of manatees sighted from 2007-2022. The start of the Panhandle Manatee Program indicated when targeted manatee education efforts started in this region, Data from Dauphin Island’s Manatee Sighting Network.

Perdido Bay

Manatees

Improving

The West Indian Manatee is a federally protected species with an estimated population of more than 6,500 individuals in the southeastern U.S. (USFWS). Manatees are commonly found in coastal and riverine areas of peninsular Florida and they migrate to the northern Gulf Coast during spring and summer, with peak sightings occurring June through August. They feed on seagrass and other aquatic plants in shallow marine and freshwater habitats.

Learn More
  • Manatees use our coastal areas as migratory corridors
  • Most sightings occurred in lower Perdido Bay and Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and as far north as Blackwater River, AL
  • Increased sightings are likely a combination of increased awareness and more manatees in the area 
  • Your sightings help support manatee conservation!

How can you help manatees?

  • Boat slow where seagrasses grow
    Seagrass beds are an important manatee food source. Boat with caution to avoid manatees and seagrass
  • Report sightings at www.panhandlemanatee.org 
    Researchers depend on data from the public to track manatee habits
  • Volunteer with Panhandle Manatee!
    Help protect manatees by educating residents and visitors
  • Do not feed or provide water to manatees
    Doing so can change their natural behavior, migration patterns, and increase the risk of injury
  • Give manatees space
    The best rule of thumb is to stay at least 100 feet away. Do not attempt to pet or swim with manatees
  • Properly discard used nets, fishing line, and trash
    Entanglement or ingestion of marine debris can be fatal to manatees
Perdido Bay manatee sightings, 2007-2022. Data from Dauphin Island’s Manatee Sighting Network.
Total number of manatees sighted from 2007-2022. The start of the Panhandle Manatee Program indicated when targeted manatee education efforts started in this region, Data from Dauphin Island’s Manatee Sighting Network.
Manatee in Ono Island Canal, AL. Photo: anonymous DISL/MSN contributor
Manatee swimming near boat motor. Photo: Salvatore Patane Jr.

Click Here to Learn More About Indicators

The presence of manatees in our waters can be representative of environmental conditions. Good water quality supports healthy underwater grasses, which in turn support manatee populations in our area. The number of manatees that have been sighted in our waters has increased in the last decade. Due to dedicated outreach efforts and community science programs, there are opportunities for the public to report manatee sightings in our area. In 2020, PPBEP partnered with researchers at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting Network (MSN) and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to expand outreach efforts in Pensacola and Perdido Bays and created the Panhandle Manatee Program. These programs allow us to learn more about manatee behavior, habitat use, and migration patterns which can support better protections for these marine mammals.

Data on local fish and shellfish communities is also important for tracking environmental health. Although there have been some historical and current fisheries monitoring efforts in the Pensacola and Perdido Bays, data access and availability is limiting. Therefore, PPBEP staff did not include fisheries data in this State of the Bays report. As we build partnerships and more data becomes available, fish community data will be added to the 2025 update.

For more information please see the Appendix.