This article/opinion by Katie Tripp of KeysInfoNet.com highlights how this ruling to reduce their protected status might affect manatees on the East Coast and the Florida Keys.

Odds already stacked against manatees in federal study for possible downlisting
By KATIE TRIPP

In response to a lawsuit by the Pacific Legal Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided downlisting manatees from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act may be warranted, and the agency is embarking on a five-year status review as part of the process.
Let me be very clear about the seriousness of the situation.
From 2010 to 2013, 2,441 manatees died in Florida waters, which is 48 percent of the highest minimum population ever recorded (5,077 in 2010), but we’d have to wait until after 2015 to be able to include this data. However, ignoring this information would also constitute a substantial and unacceptable bias.

For the complete story, go to:
http://www.keysnet.com/2014/07/23/497910/odds-already-stacked-against-manatees.html?sp=/99/116/