The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species (Scientists in the Field Series)

The Manatee Scientist is a nonfiction book about three species of manatees found in Florida, the Amazon and Africa. The author is also a photographer who follows three scientists that study manatees in the different parts of the world. The scientist in Brazil have 30 manatees in captivity to be able to study them easier than in the wild. They have also released two males into the wild and follow them by radio transmitter belts. In Florida, the manatees are much easier to count in the wild, since the waters are clear and during the cold weather, manatees come together in warm waters near power plants. In Africa, the scientist is working to set up networks in different countries. The scientist helped rescue trapped manatees and also found bones from manatees who had been hunted. The Manatee Scientist goes into more detail on research, different theories, species and origins of manatees. They talk a lot about conservation, difficulties of each scientist and protecting the manatees.

I learned so much about manatees and the scientists who research them. I did not know that manatees only have a calf once every 3-4 years or that manatees in Brazil can be killed and eaten. The photographs were great to go along with the facts and talking about the scientists. The Manatee Scientist is a great book for kids who are doing research on manatees.