Mammals, Mammoths, MANATEES! (V03)

Do you know how to train a 3000-pound relative of the elephant? Find out how Mote cares for Hugh and Buffett, our resident West Indian manatees, and learn how big and smart they are.

Objective: The student will learn the basic characteristics of a mammal, and the adaptations of manatees. The student will also learn how captive manatees are cared for and what conservation efforts are being made for wild populations.

Time required: Approximately 50 minutes.

Cost: $155.00 USD program fee.

Recommended Grade Level: 4th-8th grade (students age 9-13 years).

Materials: To participate in this program, you will need the following:

1. A videoconferencing system capable of 384 Kbps or more, either IP or ISDN (required).
2. The SeaTrek companion curriculum for Mammals, Mammoths, MANATEES! (optional)
   (See curriculum appendix for alignment to National and Sunshine State Standards).
3. Students’ “Manatee Web” worksheets (optional, from Lesson 1 of the companion curriculum above).
4. Access to the Mote Manatee Toy Internet site (optional, from Lesson 5, Make a Manatee Toy, a follow up activity to the videoconference itself).
5. Mote eNotes: Manatees & Dugongs (optional).

Overview: In this videoconference, Mote Marine Laboratory will present a media-rich program on manatees. Topics include:

• Basic mammal characteristics and specific manatee anatomy
• Captive animal husbandry and training
• Environmental Enrichment Devices (EEDs)
• Threats to manatees and how the students can help
• Questions and Answers featuring live video from our Manatee Tank

About Scheduling: Whenever possible, we feature live shots from our Manatee Cam during this program. However, to see the best images of Hugh and Buffett, we recommend you schedule your conference as early as possible (9:00 or 10:00 timeslots), before feeding time begins.

To register for this program, click here.