TAMPA, Fla. — The Trump administration is proposing changes that would narrow the scope of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a move that has sparked concern among conservationists who fear the impact on vulnerable wildlife—especially species native to Florida.
What You Need To Know
Trump Administration wants to narrow scope of Endangered Speicies Act
Conservationists at ZooTampa expressed concern for species like manatees
A public comment period is open from Nov. 21 to Dec. 22
At ZooTampa, animal care teams who work closely with threatened animals like manatees say the proposed revisions could undermine decades of conservation progress.
Marie Filipek, a senior animal care professional at ZooTampa, has spent six years rehabilitating manatees.
“They’re just an iconic species—you can’t look at a manatee and not love them,” she said.
Many of the manatees that arrive at ZooTampa are rescued after being found sick, injured or orphaned. Last year alone, the facility rehabilitated 28 manatees—a record number.
Manatees, often called “gentle giants” or “sea cows,” have no natural predators and lack strong instincts to avoid danger. The population is still recovering from massive die-offs in 2021 and 2022, when about 2,000 manatees died statewide.
“One of the biggest issues was seagrass die-off on the east coast,” Filipek explained. “That led to a lot of starvation… we were seeing many emaciated cases.”
Filipek says the ESA remains essential—not only for manatees, but for numerous Florida species struggling to survive, including the Florida panther, gopher tortoise, and grasshopper sparrow.
“If we loosen those protections, it can cause a problem for them in the wild,” she said.
Among the proposed ESA changes: Modifying how species and critical habitat are evaluated and allowing economic considerations to influence listing decisions.
Critics argue that allowing economic factors to override scientific assessments could jeopardize habitats crucial for species recovery.
“By protecting their habitats, it’s also protecting us,” Filipek added. “Clean waterways, clean air—those things affect humans too. It’s a snowball effect.”
In a statement, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum defended the proposal, saying the administration aims to “restore the Endangered Species Act to its original intent—protecting species through clean, consistent and lawful standards that also respect the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our lands and resources.”
Despite the uncertainty, Filipek says ZooTampa will continue its mission to rehabilitate and release manatees and support other threatened Florida wildlife.
A 30-day public comment period is now open, beginning Nov. 21 and ending Dec. 22.