The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species (Scientists in the Field)

by Peter Lourie (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
In The Manatee Scientists, John Reynolds does an aerial count of manatees from the Florida sky; Lucy Keith spends a weekend rescuing manatees trapped in a dam in Senegal; and Fernando Rosas takes the author on an Amazonian boat trip, looking for a young manatee he released back into the wild, with emotional results. These scientists are working hard to save manatees: docile, large sea mammals who are eaten in some parts of the world, feared in others, and adored in still others. But factors such as human encroachment, disease, environmental hazards, and being hunted are causing their numbers to decline: they are an endangered species, in need of help.
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Kirkus

Starred Review
It lives up to the standards set by others in this stellar series.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8—Lourie's readable text follows the efforts of research scientists in Brazil, West Africa, and Florida as they attempt to determine the habits, habitats, and behaviors of three large sirenians, two of whom live in very remote and often primitive areas. The fieldwork on West African and Amazonian manatees is complicated by the very murky water in which they live (Floridian manatees get pellucid aquamarine waters but more propeller slashes) and is further complicated by the fact they are hunted for food to supplement inadequate diets in isolated areas. The African studies are compounded by a variety of national political issues and some social unrest. Lourie's lucid reportage is accompanied by clear color photos of the scientists at work in drowned rain forests, crystalline springs, muddy rivers blocked by dams, in the lab, and from the air. Quotes are imbedded as well, with Lucy Keith remarking patiently, "You have to really like challenges to do research in Africa," and Fernando Rosas in Brazil explaining why local people love manatee meat. "They eat fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so any change in this diet is welcome." This is a living, breathing window into the watery world of manatee studies, with eager scientists pursuing the preservation of stressed sirenian populations with determination and grit.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes




Peter Lourie
Peter Lourie lives in Vermont with his family. He is an avid traveler who spent weeks in Florida and Brazil working on this book and says, I am grateful to all the scientists who allow me to accompany them on their explorations. Every little bit of knowledge does in fact contribute to the overall picture of how science can help us to conserve animals. Visit his website at www.peterlourie.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780547152547
Lexile Measure
1210
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
April 20, 2011
Series
Scientists in the Field
BISAC categories
JNF051150 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Zoology
JNF037020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Environmental Conservation & Protection
JNF003220 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Animal Welfare
JNF003150 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Marine Life
JNF003270 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Endangered
Library of Congress categories
Scientists
Endangered species
Wildlife conservation
Conservation
Manatees
Marine biologists
Marine mammalogists

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