The quiet manatee has long been a flash point of frequent environmental debates. It is Florida's most famous endangered species, as well as its most controversial. Manatees appear on hundreds of license plates, attract hordes of tourists, and expose the uneasy relationships between science and the law and between freedom and responsibility like no other animal.  As passions have flared and resentments have grown, the battle over manatee protection has evolved into a war, and no reporter has followed the story more closely than Craig Pittman, the first environmental writer to explore the complex history, culture, and science of the controversies and concerns surrounding this remarkable creature.  With an abiding interest in the uncertain fate of this unique species, Manatee Insanity provides the first in-depth history of the attempts to provide legal protection for the manatee. Pittman follows Florida’s gentle giants through time and space, detailing interactions with a variety of human actors, from Jacques-Yves Cousteau to Jeb Bush to Jimmy Buffett, from a popular children's book author to a federal lawman who dressed in a gorilla suit for the ultimate undercover assignment.

From two scientists who have been at the forefront of manatee research for over three decades, The Florida Manatee offers an engaging, accessible introduction to manatee biology, including communication, diet, long-distance migration, and much more. This second edition is updated with new scientific research, as well as discussions of recent conservation efforts—largely driven by manatee injuries and deaths resulting from boat collisions—that have contributed to the robust growth of manatee numbers in Florida. It also includes the latest predictions for manatee populations and health in the future, both in Florida and worldwide. This is the perfect book for anyone seeking the most comprehensive, current information on this fascinating marine mammal.

Highlights the work scientists are doing to protect the manatee, an endangered species.

"Written to the cadence of 'Twas the night before Christmas, the story depicts the everyday plight and dangers the Florida manatees must endure to survive"--Page 4 of cover.

A photographic guide that “focuses on the beauty, grace and vulnerability of these herbivores, but it also covers other sea mammals and their habitats” (The Biologist). Named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title In this book, manatee expert John E. Reynolds III and famed photographer Wayne Lynch join forces to reveal the clearest portrait of manatees ever published. Florida Manatees is a song for the manatee, a celebration of the lives of these majestic creatures. Reynolds’s concise, informative text shares what scientists know about manatees, while Lynch’s beautiful photographs instantly demonstrate how special these “potatoes with whiskers” really are. By encouraging an appreciation of manatees, the authors hope to help ensure a future in which Floridians can find ways to coexist with and continue to enjoy these uniquely wonderful sirenian inhabitants of their state. Included in this book: How manatees first came to Florida waters How manatees fit into the ecosystems of Florida What and how much manatees eat How manatees behave and communicate with one another Why manatees look the way they do Why manatees have whiskers How manatee mothers feed their young and much more “A lovely book that sounds as though it would appeal primarily to scientists, but which offers inviting color photos and history that make it accessible to lay audiences both within Florida and outside the state.” —Donovan’s Literary Services

Who will step in to save the vulnerable planet Moonark from those who would destroy it and sap its valuable resources? Who would dare to do battle with the fierce Chocroids, the giant and terrifying Muck Mock spiders, and to fight crime from Moonark all the way to distant Earth? Enter the Manatee Warriors, an intrepid group of galactic superheroes whose mettle and bravery sees them through wild adventures of treachery and danger. Aided by the incredible technological advances pioneered by the genius inventor Sweegee, the manatees work as a team to defeat all who would threaten their homeland. In this thrilling science fiction novel, read on as the Manatee Warriors struggle against the invasion of the powerful Chocroids, restless and dangerous beasts with an appetite for destruction. Then follow our aquatic heroes as they travel to a distant planet called Earth, evading human interference as they seek to understand the source and very nature of the strange mutations which have given them their awesome powers. Will they uncover the answer to this great mystery? Will they succeed in saving Moonark from the forces which besiege it on all sides? Read on, and find out!