Save the Manatees

Who We Are:

Save the Manatee Club is an award-winning national nonprofit 501(c)(3) and membership-based organization established in 1981 by renowned singer/songwriter, Jimmy Buffett, and former U.S. Senator, Bob Graham, when he was governor of Florida.

Why We Need Your Support:

Human activities are harming manatees, and only our compassion and action can protect them.

Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal. They are listed as endangered at the international level by the IUCN World Conservation Union, at the federal level by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and at the state level by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Manatees are endangered largely due to human activity. Since record-keeping began in 1974, more than 41% of manatee deaths where cause of death was identified were human-related – and almost 34% were due to watercraft collisions (the largest known cause of manatee deaths). With increased awareness, education, regulations, and enforcement, manatee deaths caused by humans could be substantially reduced, and the eventual recovery of the species could be realized. 

Our Mission:

Our mission is to protect endangered manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations.

Our Objective:

Our objective is the recovery and protection of manatees and their aquatic ecosystems throughout the world.

Our Goals:

In order to recover the manatee population – or delist the species – our goals are:

1. To protect ample healthy habitat to support a stable or growing manatee population
2. To reduce manatee harassment, injuries and deaths from human activity
3. To ensure that sufficient regulations have been adopted to accomplish these goals.

Our Work:

In order to accomplish our objective and goals we concentrate our efforts on reducing the negative impacts to manatees and their aquatic habitat caused by human activity through:

1. Increasing public awareness and education
   
2. Sponsoring research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts
   
3. Advocating for strong protection measures, such as boat speed zones and sanctuaries
   
4. Taking legal action when appropriate

We also assist scientists and educators in the Wider Caribbean, South America, and West Africa with their conservation efforts.

Our Core Values:

1. Supporting the most effective conservation actions possible.
   
2. Making science-based decisions and supporting science-driven policies
   
3. Demanding accountability from policy-makers
   
4. Working cooperatively
   
   

Visit their website and don’t forget to donate…