JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While there currently isn’t a high number of manatees in Jacksonville, there will be in April as the waters warm up. The manatee population is on the rise, and wildlife officials predict there will be a healthy number this summer. In 2017, the Florida manatee was reclassified from an endangered to a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. While the population is doing well right now, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a record number of manatees were killed last year by Florida boaters. For information on the Florida manatee and conservation efforts, click here.