Hello fellow map lovers,

We all know how precious the manatee is to Florida and the waters that surround it, and do everything we can to promote the protection of this precious animal. Here is a map showing the speed limits for craft around Anna Maria Island, one of the favoured haunts of this gentle beast.

For a larger, zoomable version of this map, follow this link

Here's some information on the manatee from wikipedia.

The population of manatees in Florida (T. manatus) is thought to be between 1,000 and 3,000, yet population estimates are very difficult. The number of manatee deaths in Florida caused by humans has been increasing through the years, and now typically accounts for 20%-40% of recorded manatee deaths. There were near 300 registered and confirmed manatees in Florida killed by human activity in 2006; the majority of these, that happened to be discovered by Florida Fish and Wildlife, have been caused by boat strikes.
Accurate population estimates of the Florida manatee are notoriously difficult and have been called scientifically weak; with widely varying counts from year to year, some areas show possible increases yet others decreases, with very little strong evidence of increases except in 2 areas. However, studies carried out in 1997, found that decreasing adult survival and eventual extinction is a probable future outcome for the Florida manatees, unless they are aggressively protected. Manatee counts are highly variable without an accurate way to estimate numbers in Florida in 1996, a winter survey found 2,639 manatees; in 1997 a January survey found 2,229; and a February survey found 1,706. Fossil remains of manatee ancestors show they have inhabited Florida for about 45 million years.

So, there you have it, if we want to carry on enjoying the sight of manatees around Florida it is vital that the impact of humans is kept to a minimum. And, as this map suggests, that could start with all boats slowing down in and around the coast where these fascinating creatures live.