Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) satellite tagged a record 18 rehabilitated manatees that were released by the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) at three different sites in Florida between Feb. 10 and Feb. 17 – a busy start to manatee tracking for 2023. CMARI researchers and biologists monitor rehabilitated manatees post-release to ensure they are adapting well to the wild. CMARI scientists not only monitor rehabilitated manatees as partners in the MRP but study the movement patterns of tagged wild manatees throughout the southeast United States and Caribbean to better understand changing migration patterns and shifts in habitats selected for survival within the manatee population overall. Dr. James “Buddy” Powell, chief zoological officer for CMA, has worked to protect manatees around the globe for more than 50 years through hands-on field study and scientific research.