--- title: Manatees Are No Longer Endangered Species, Feds Say description: The West Indian manatee is no longer considered endangered thanks to population growth and improvement in conditions of the species' habitat canonical: https://time.com/4719439/manatees-endangered-species/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-30T21:04:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:08:06.989Z article:section: Science og:title: Manatees Are No Longer Listed as Endangered Species og:description: The West Indian manatee is no longer considered endangered thanks to population growth and improvement in conditions of the species' habitat og:url: https://time.com/4719439/manatees-endangered-species/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb0cc25b4abb2963/6988c0b1a988caef6c6bb8aa/manatee-endangered-species.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: manatee endangered species og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Manatees Are No Longer Listed as Endangered Species twitter:description: The West Indian manatee is no longer considered endangered thanks to population growth and improvement in conditions of the species' habitat twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb0cc25b4abb2963/6988c0b1a988caef6c6bb8aa/manatee-endangered-species.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Manatees Are No Longer Listed as Endangered Species  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 30, 2017 9:04 PM UTC  On one of the coldest Florida winter days in history, a young male Florida manatee calf floats and enjoys the warmth over a blue freshwater spring outflow. On one of the coldest Florida winter days in history, a young male Florida manatee calf floats and enjoys the warmth over a blue freshwater spring outflow.Carol Grant—Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 30, 2017 9:04 PM UTC The West Indian [manatee](https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mammal/manatee/) is no longer considered [endangered](http://time.com/4671860/endangered-species-act-reform-climate-change/) thanks to population growth and improvement in conditions of the species’ habitat, federal authorities [said](https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/west-indian-manatee-reclassification-final-rule.pdf) Thursday. The [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) ](https://www.fws.gov/)said that despite the progress the species remains “threatened” and federal safeguards that protect its habitat remain in place. “We both recognize the significant progress we have made in conserving manatee populations while reaffirming our commitment to continuing this species’ recovery and success throughout its range,” said Jim Kurth, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s acting director, in a statement. Manatees, which are found in waters off Florida and in the Caribbean, have faced a number of threats in recent decades, including habitat loss and collisions with boats. Today, more than 6,600 live in the Florida region, according to the FWS. 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