IMPORTANT
The Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Database has been updated.
Users are now required to log in with a Login.gov account.
- If you do not have a Login.gov account, please visit Create an account.
- It is highly recommended to use an account that matches the same email that you used for logging into the previous Manatee site. Using the same email will log you in with your previous permissions automatically applied.
This is the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Database website for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Manatee Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Program (Rehab Program). The purpose of the Rehab Program is to rescue and rehabilitate distressed and injured West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) for their eventual release back into the wild. The Rehab Program is a cooperative partnership with various organizations that are authorized to respond and treat injured and distressed manatees. This information system archives all manatee data from the Rehab Program and is managed by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Currently the Rehab Program is authorized under a Marine Mammal Enhancement Permit (PRT- 77019) issued to FWS’s Jacksonville Ecological Services Office. Letters of Authorizations are granted to various organizations as subpermittees to participate in the Rehab Program under the authority of Sections 109(h) and 112(c) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and under Section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act.
The rescue of injured and distressed manatees began in 1973; this database archives these data collected since the initiation of this effort. All manatees rescued under the authority of the Rehab Program permit must be entered into this database. The database is maintained by both FWS and FWC. These data are collected as a requirement under the Rehab Program permit; however, they also provide invaluable information on the threats to wild manatees and the amount of time and resources expended to recover this endangered species. Data quality and accuracy are thoroughly evaluated prior to posting on government websites for public view. Please contact your system administrator for questions regarding the use of this database.