myakkariver.net Photo credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS
Thermal Regulation All mammals are warm blooded, including manatees. Mammals have different ways to keep themselves at comfortable temperatures. How do you stay warm in cold weather? How do you stay cool in the summer? Photo credit: B. Dunnigan Florida Sea Grant Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Temperature Regulation in Marine Mammals Animals that live in water spend more energy keeping warm than those on land. Heat loss in water is 27 times more than in air Humpback Whale Photo credit: E. Green Stellar Sea Lion Photo credit: NOAA Walrus Photo credit: NOAA Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Whales Photo credit: NOAA How do they stay warm? Blubber (can be more than 1 foot thick!!! Circulatory System Food Photo credit: NOAA Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
What is blubber? Blubber is….. A thick layer of fat. It acts like a jacket to keep animals warm. Which animals have blubber? Whales, Dolphins, Sea Lions, Seals, Walrus, Polar Bears Which animals do not have blubber? Manatees Sea Otters Sea Otter Photo credit: M. McGuire Humpback Whale Photo credit: NOAA Polar Bear Photo credit: NOAA Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
What keeps a walrus warm? Lots and lots of blubber Move blood away from skin (keeps them warm on the inside) “Cuddle” with other walrus Photo credit: Joel Garlich-Miller, USFWS Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
These sea lions are warming up… Photo credit: M. McGuire Sea lions can warm up by getting out of the water and lying on rocks in the sun. The lighter colored animals have dried off. Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
And these are cooling off… Sea lions can cool down by lifting their flippers out of the water. Blood in the flippers is right under the skin and cools quickly in the cold air. Sea lions use behavior to help control their temperature. Photo credit: M. McGuire Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
What about sea otters? Sea otters have no blubber Sea otters have the thickest hair known (>1,000,000 hairs per square inch) Sea otters have a layer of air under their fur that keeps their skin dry and warm in the water. Photo credit: M. McGuire Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
How do manatees stay warm? Photo credit: Jim Reid, USFWS Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Manatees get cold and can die when water temperatures drop below 68°F Manatees do not have blubber. Manatees must migrate to warm water to stay warm in the winter Mother manatees teach migration routes to their calves Natural warm water springs are very important to help manatees stay warm. Some power plants release warm water Photo credit: M. McGuire Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
What is a spring? Fresh water flowing from underground. What temperature is spring water? Does the temperature of the spring water change throughout the year? e Photo credits: M. McGuire Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Why are power plants important to manatees? Tampa Bay Power Plant Photo credit: Marilyn Conlon (Flickr) Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Why are power plants important to manatees? Manatees migrate to the same place each winter. Power plants keep water warm throughout the year. Manatees learn to go to power plants to find warm water, and do not learn to find natural warm water refuges (like Blue Spring State Park). Old power plants can get shut down, then young manatees don’t know where to go in the winter to stay warm! Photo credit: Amanderson2 Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Why do manatees need to stay warm? Photo credit: M. McGuire Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Why do manatees migrate to Florida springs each winter? Photo credit: M. McGuire Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water
Review What are some ways that marine mammals stay warm when the weather is cold? How are sea otters different from most other marine mammals? How are manatees different from most other marine mammals? Where are the best places in Florida to look for manatees in the winter? Lesson 9: Manatees need warm water