Florida manatees dying off at an alarming rate, experts say
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[January 18, 2023]
By Maria Alejandra Cardona
CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. (Reuters) - Florida manatees, the gentle sea mammals
known as "sea cows," are dying in Florida at an alarming rate, mostly of
starvation as their main staple of sea grass disappears in the state's
Panhandle region, according to experts.
Out of an estimated population of 6,000 to 7,000 manatees in Florida, up
to 1,000 died last year alone, manatee biologist James "Buddy" Powell
told Reuters TV.
"I think what we see now is a wake-up call," Powell said. "You'll have
thousands of manatees in an area, to which they come sort of expecting,
you know, 'Where's the buffet?' And they arrive and it's not there. So,
they have been starving and dying as a consequence to that starvation
but also other health concerns associated with malnutrition," Powell
added.
Manatees are a protected species in Florida but their environment is
not. They are particularly vulnerable because aside from the scarcity of
sea grass in their habitats, they are also being affected by water
pollution, injured by boats and killed by red tide events, a toxic algal
bloom.
Their populations on the western part of the Florida Panhandle are
faring better thanks to lower human activity, fewer boats, less
pollution and greater efforts to restore coastal ecosystems and grow sea
grass.
Sea and Shoreline, a non-profit organization headed by Powell and
dedicated to aquatic restoration, has been growing sea grass in the
manatee sanctuary of Crystal River, the manatee capital on Florida's
Gulf Coast.
"One of our biggest projects is the Save Crystal River Project," said
sea grass biologist Jessica Mailliez, who works with Sea and Shoreline
to restore sea grass in the area.
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People ride a kayak as a manatee
swims off-boundaries of a sanctuary in Three Sisters Springs at the
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, in Crystal River, Florida,
U.S., January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello
"We have fully completed about 80 acres (32 hectares) thus far and
it's been so successful that the 80 acres of grass we've planted has
actually expanded to over 250 acres (100 hectares)," Mailliez added.
Manatees, which can grow up to 13 feet (4 meters) long and weigh up
to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg), are herbivorous and survive almost
exclusively on sea grass, but also can be fed romaine lettuce. They
can live both in salty and fresh water and venture into rivers,
springs and inlets. They are gentle and docile, unafraid of humans,
and reproduce very slowly - a calf every 2-1/2 years or so.
Sea grass is being killed off primarily by water pollution -
fertilizer run-off as well as human and animal waste - and other
human activities such as boats dragging their anchors across the
seabed.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May earmarked more than $30 million
to enhance and expand manatee rescue, rehabilitation efforts and
provide habitat restoration for areas where manatees are highly
concentrated. DeSantis last week issued an executive order with a
proposed of $3.5 billion investment over four years for Everglades
restoration and water environment protection.
"So the recent executive order by Governor DeSantis is monumental,"
Powell said. "I think it's going to make a big difference in terms
of trying to restore our coastal ecosystems."
(Reporting by Maria Alejandra Cardona; Editing by Sandra Maler and
Will Dunham)
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