Florida's wildlife commission has voted to remove manatees from the state's endangered species list, despite studies predicting their numbers will decline.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted Wednesday to designate the manatee as a threatened species rather than an endangered one.

Manatees, also called sea cows, are seen in Crystal River, north of Tampa, Fla., in 1996.
(Mark Guss, Tampa Tribune/Associated Press)

The manatee is an aquatic mammal, also called the sea cow, that is closely related to the elephant. Scientists say the manatee population is expected to drop 50 per cent over the next 50 years because of loss of habitat, collisions with boats and poisoning by the algae that causes a red tide.

Florida officials said the manatee is not endangered, which is a classification for species on the brink of extinction, and the vote will not affect how the animals are protected, because they're also safeguarded under federal law.

But a lawyer for 17 environmental groups says the reclassification could mean less state funding for research, management and law enforcement to protect the manatee.

Lawyer Martha Collins filed a petition with Florida officials last week to have the state's classification system revamped.

A survey of manatee numbers released in February found 3,116 of the animals in Florida waters, up from 1,267 in 1991 when the first manatee census was taken.

But Florida scientists said the increase is partly the result of improvements in techniques over the last 15 years for finding manatees.