After cuts in staff at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the world's largest manatee sanctuary, reports have ...

Some Florida Panhandle Springs, such as Wakulla Springs, run a little cooler at 68 degrees. In wintertime, when the Gulf of ...

Manatees make their annual migration from their homes in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina—even as far away as Texas and Virginia—to Florida’s warmer waters and natural springs each ...

An environmental group Friday filed a formal notice that is a step toward suing the federal government over protecting ...

A lawsuit could soon be filed to force federal environmental officials to reverse recent cuts in staffing at the largest ...

The manatees at the refuge need the warm water of the springs in order to survive the cold winter. The Crystal River area, which is about 80 miles north of Tampa, is the only area in Florida where ...

This story is part of our weekly Hidden Gems feature series as the USA TODAY Network – Florida takes readers around the state ...

Martine de Wit, wildlife veterinarian with Florida Fish and Wildlife ... around mid-November, manatees seek warm-water habitats, such as natural springs and the outfalls from power plant ...

The herds mostly gather around Florida’s springs, where water temperatures stay around 72 degrees year round. A threatened species It’s illegal to harass manatees — such as trying to catch ...