Historically, manatees are an indicator of the islands’ intact environment due to their liking of fresh and brackish water habitats and abundant sea grass beds for grazing grounds surrounding the Virgin Islands coastal ecosystem.

Source: https://stjohntradewinds.com/open-forum-the-importance-of-guts-in-the-virgin-islands-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=open-forum-the-importance-of-guts-in-the-virgin-islands-part-2

Their populations on the western part of the Florida Panhandle are faring better thanks to lower human activity, fewer boats, less pollution and greater efforts to restore coastal ecosystems and grow sea grass.

Source: https://gazette.com/news/us-world/florida-manatees-dying-off-at-an-alarming-rate-experts-say/article_7fe6a29f-243d-5ebf-9cf3-0c90e3488e87.html