ABSTRACT
Introduction Manatees are one of the enigmas of the seas: great, lumbering creatures endowed with docile and curious natures. Currently classified as endangered by both the federal and state governments, and predicted to eventually face extinction, manatees have become the center of a contentious battle between divisive interests. In Crystal River, Florida, manatees have started congregating at the warm water outflows near power plants, rather than migrating south, raising conservation concerns both for their dependence on the continued operation of the power plants and for their yearround residency in highly developed areas. Neither sought after for hunting nor prey to a larger predator, the main threat facing manatees is usually boat propellers, often causing dismemberment or disfiguring gashes along their bodies. The issues at stake are both complicated and emotional: boating regulations, property rights, tourism money, and of course conservation of a species that is both curious and awe-inspiring (White 2013).
