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David Hinkle/USFWS/442 manatee deaths were recorded this year between January and the start of September. That’s down a couple hundred from the 5-year average for the same time period. But manatees are still struggling throughout the state. -
Costa Sunglasses/Courtesy"Seagrass die-off has happened before in Florida in various estuaries at various times. Seagrass recovers. But this is the first time it's really been simultaneous in all five major estuaries in Florida," said Bill Kearney of the Sun Sentinel.
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Danielle Prieur/The Brevard Zoo is breaking ground on a new manatee rehabilitation center after receiving a state grant and individual donations.
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The new study targets redfish found in waters from St. Augustine to Pensacola and builds on a similar survey released last year that also found bonefish contaminated with pharmaceuticals in the Keys and Biscayne Bay.
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One proposal would create a decade-long seagrass restoration plan after the state saw a dramatic rise in seagrass loss, tied to record manatee deaths. -
Bianca was a mere calf when she was rescued in 2021 from Florida’s ailing Indian River Lagoon. After a long recovery at SeaWorld she finally swam back into the wild.
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The latest figures are showing that 56 manatees have been found dead so far in Florida this year — even more than last year during the same time frame. That's worrying since last year was Florida's second-deadliest year for manatees on record.
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Last year was the second-worst ever when it comes to manatee deaths in Florida. Some 800 mortalities were recorded in 2022. At the heart of the die-off are ongoing water quality problems and seagrass losses in the Indian River Lagoon, a crucial manatee habitat.
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More than six dozen threatened manatees are currently in rehabilitation centers in Florida and elsewhere amid a chronic starvation problem caused by water pollution, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
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The study from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute shows the greatest concentration of toxins were in the sharks’ stomachs.
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Faced with habitat destruction and damage caused by pollution, the Indian River Lagoon has experienced devastating algal blooms and fish die offs. In hopes of bringing the lagoon back to good health, the Brevard Zoo created the “Restore Our Shores” conservation field project.
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With winter approaching and water temperatures dropping, a program that feeds lettuce to the marine mammals at a warm-water power plant near Cape Canaveral enters its second year. The feeding program comes after a record 1,102 manatee deaths in 2021.
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State wildlife officials Wednesday approved a seasonal no-entry zone in an area of Brevard County waters where manatees gather, while preparing for a second winter of feeding the sea cows to try to prevent deaths. Poor water quality and algae blooms have depleted seagrass beds that provide a key food source for manatees in the Indian River Lagoon.
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Plans are already in place to resume an experimental feeding program at a warm-water power plant near Cape Canaveral. Last year, about 202,000 pounds (91,600 kilograms) of lettuce was fed to manatees that gather there by the thousands when the weather turns colder.
