Manatees are among the largest of marine mammals. These __________ creatures can grow to twelve feet and weigh up to three thousand pounds.

Manatees present no threat to humans. In fact, these ________ creatures seem to enjoy the company of humans.

The number of boats on Florida's coastal waters continues to increase. There is no prospect that the number of boats will _________ in the future.

Boating is important to Florida's economy. However, the claim that boats and manatees can coexist safely ________ on the ridiculous.

Collisions are common between boats and manatees. These encounters are often __________ for the manatee.

The harm comes from contact with the boat's propellers. These collisions could be __________ if motor boaters were more careful.

A third of all manatee deaths are boat-related. In as many as nine out of ten of those deaths, the manatee was ______ by boat propellers.

Manatees feed just below the surface. These slow-moving creatures are not __________ enough to avoid collisions.

A close watch is kept on the manatee population in Florida. Authorities are __________ about tracking and counting them.

Congress stepped in to save the manatees. The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed to lessen their __________.

The boating regulations put in place help protect the manatees. But people whose livelihoods depend on the boating industry may ______ that too much regulation could cause economic hardship.

Boaters have a responsibility to the manatees. They need to ________ their behavior carefully when operating where manatees are present.

In the past, boaters were indifferent to the presence of manatees. They need to take a less ________ approach in the future.

Thanks to all the actions that have been taken over the years, manatees were removed from the endangered-species list in 2016. The future no longer looks ____________.