Despite unprecedented federal and state intervention to save one Florida’s most beloved animal, the manatees are still dying.
Officials said Wednesday that 85 manatees’ bodies were found on Florida’s Atlantic coast. They were most likely starving in the Indian River Lagoon area. Wildlife officers found 16 carcasses in Brevard County alone on Friday.
That’s the same pattern that we saw last winter, and this trend will continue, said Dr. Martine, who is the veterinarian who examines dead manatees on behalf of the state.
Wildlife officers are continuing to rescue manatees in distress. Andy Garrett, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation’s manatee rescue coordinator, said that at least 12 manatees require rescue.
He said that my biologists see thin animals and emaciated animals.
According to the state wildlife commission, a record 1,101 manatees perished last year due to starvation in the Indian River Lagoon. Federal and state officials established a unified command last November to address the manatee deaths. They increased patrols and stepped up rescue efforts for manatees who are in distress. Offering them food.
Tom Reinert, director of the state wildlife commissions south, stated that we are doing our best to support this species.
The manatees are starving for seagrass, so they have no choice but to eat it. Pollution washing away cities and farms has killed vast areas of seagrass in the lagoon.
Officials expect the difficulties to continue at least through next season, as it’s unlikely that the lagoons’ seagrass will recover soon.
Environmental groups sued the U.S. over the deaths, claiming that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was accused of failing to provide enough habitat for threatened marine mammals. Environmental groups also filed notices of intent to sue Environmental Protection Agency for failing to stop pollution in the lagoon.
According to Jaclyn Lopez (Florida director of the Center for Biological Diversity), the Florida manatee crisis is due to a failure to protect manatee habitat. This group is suing the federal government.
Manatees require safe places to sleep, eat and raise their families just as humans do. We let these waters get so polluted that the seagrasses have collapsed, and now manatees are suffering.
Recent cold weather has been particularly dangerous for manatees. Manatees are not tolerant to water temperatures below 68.5 degrees. They will hide in the discharge zones of power stations during cold weather.
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