Critical habitat constitutes areas considered essential for the conservation of a listed species. These areas provide notice to the public and land managers of the importance of the areas to the conservation of this species. Special protections and/or restrictions are possible in areas where Federal funding, permits, licenses, authorizations, or actions occur or are required.

West Indian manatees can be found along the coastal and inland waters of the southern United States, throughout the Caribbean islands and along the eastern coasts of Mexico and Central America and the northern coast of South America.

These data identify, in general, the areas of proposed critical habitat for West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), for the subspecies Antillean Manatee in Puerto Rico