News

Alabama/DISL Adoption Update

By Dr. Ruth Carmichael, Director, DISL, & Sophia Corde, PhD Student, Univ. of South Alabama and DISL

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab/Manatee Sighting Network (DISL/MSN) reached a new milestone, documenting more than 8,000 opportunistic sighting reports since its inception in 2007! We appreciate everyone who has contributed to the network and helped it grow; your contributions have made a meaningful difference to our understanding of manatee ecology on the northern Gulf Coast and conservation range-wide. This winter has had some dynamic temperature changes, and water temperatures continue to drop, which is particularly concerning for potential cold stress cases outside of Florida. The DISL/MSN has monitored multiple cold stress cases already this year, and we continue to thank everyone who has helped with this effort through timely reports!

As we closed out 2025 and rang in the new year, we celebrated an overall successful year for DISL/MSN. Two Alabama manatees, Owa and Mardi Gras—who were rescued from cold stress last winter—successfully recovered and were returned to their natural habitat by SeaWorld Orlando in the spring. Several of our known seasonal manatee visitors were seen last summer, including Bartlett, who was sighted on numerous occasions across Alabama’s waterways. Clog and Bama were not reported so far this year; however, we continue to keep our eyes out for these popular adoptees among the photos submitted by the public! Please continue to report your northern Gulf manatee sightings to manatee@disl.org or 1-866-493-5803.