too small or dry up completely. Climate change is a growing concern for manatees, as changes in temperature can affect sea levels, pH, precipitation, salinity, and the circulation patterns of coastal ecosystems. Climate change is also predicted to make winter months even colder, leading to increased instances of cold stress in manatees. Warming ocean temperatures can cause harmful algal blooms, which can choke out the light needed for growth of seagrass. Reduced seagrass beds means that more manatees end up congregating in smaller areas to feed, increasing competition for resources and the spread of pathogens. Exposure to brevetoxin during a red tide event is also a source of mortality; manatees may be exposed to brevetoxin after a red tide has subsided, as it can accumulate on seagrasses. The act of eating vegetation also stirs up sediment, resulting in the ingestion of contaminants trapped in the mud. All sirenians are protected by the US Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the US Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In addition to this, the four species are further protected by various specialty organizations. The dugong is listed in the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, and the Coral Triangle Initiative. In Florida, manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which implements actions such as the prohibition of watercraft or limits on their speeds where manatees exist. Marine mammal rehabilitation programs have been underway and regulated in the United States for more than 40 years. In 1973 injured and distressed manatees were rescued or aided in Florida. Eventually, the program was formalized into the Manatee Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release Program managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2012 the program became the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, with permitting and oversight by the USFWS. From 1973 through 2014, this program rescued 1,619 manatees and released 526. See also Dwarf manatee Cetacea Marine mammal References Further reading Garrison, Tom. Oceanography, 5th Ed., Brooks Cole, 30 July 2008. External links Save The Manatee Mammal orders Ypresian first appearances Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger