Record manatee deaths in Florida this year
With two months left in the year, Florida has already recorded a record for the number of manatee deaths in the state.
The record was already established by Sept. 24, when there were 957 deaths recorded for the threatened mammal. As of Oct. 15, there were 974 manatee deaths recorded in the state.
The vast majority of the deaths occurred between January and March. Of the 974 deaths, 574 of those manatees weren’t necropsied for a cause of death. Scientists and environmental organizations have blamed a loss of seagrass, pollution and a cold spell this winter as key reasons for the spike.
According to data furnished by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 142 deaths were listed as natural, 108 were perinatal and 87 were blamed on watercraft collisions.
While Lee County led the state in manatee deaths in 2019, it has since been far surpassed by Brevard County where a loss of seagrass has been identified by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation as the greatest concern. There have been 321 manatee deaths recorded in Brevard County this year, compared to 101 for Lee County – which is second-most.
The last manatee death on Fort Myers Beach was on June 28 in Estero Bay though no cause was given.
Long considered among the most endangered species in America, the U.S. Department of the Interior reclassified the manatee as threatened in 2017. There are an estimated 6,000 manatees living in Florida waters.
On Oct. 4, Florida Department of Agriculture Secretary Nikki Fried wrote to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service to “strongly encourage” the department to “take action expeditiously to reclassify these marine mammals as endangered species given the urgency the situation demands.”
Since the manatee was declassified from endangered species status in 2017, deaths have risen for manatees. In 2016, there were 520 manatee deaths recorded in the state. In 2017, there were 538 manatee deaths. In 2018, manatee deaths rose to 824. In 2019, there were 607 manatee deaths and in 2020, there were 637 manatee deaths before this year’s sharp rise in fatalities.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) “continues to investigate the high level of manatee mortalities, and respond to manatee rescues along the Atlantic coast of Florida,” FWC spokesperson Carly Jones said.
“Responding to live manatees in need of rescue remains a top priority for the FWC and partners from the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership. FWC manatee biologists have been working hard to respond to public reports of distressed manatees and rescue manatees that need assistance,” Jones stated in an email.
“The FWC takes manatee conservation seriously by actively implementing science-based conservation measures that are making a difference for manatees and habitat.
“These manatee mortalities have met the criteria to be declared an Unusual Mortality Event by the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has confirmed the UME determination. Moving forward, the FWC will continue to coordinate closely with our federal partners, participate in the investigative team, and conduct analyses related to the cause of the UME. Working with these partners, FWC staff will explore both short- and long-term and small- and large-scale response options, including aquatic habitat restoration.
“Environmental conditions in portions of the Indian River Lagoon remain a concern. Preliminary information indicates that a reduction in food availability, seagrass, is the primary factor in this event. We will continue with a comprehensive investigation and share information as it becomes available. The FWC has always done a rigorous and thorough job at investigating threats to manatees.
As water temperatures have warmed, manatees have naturally dispersed from their winter habitats, traveling to other areas of the state and beyond. This dispersal should lead manatees to better habitats. FWC will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with our partners,” Jones stated.
The Save the Manatee Club recently issued a statement urging “residents and visitors of coastal areas to not feed, give water to, or harass manatees that are migrating to Florida for the winter season. These actions are illegal and can harm manatees. Boaters are also reminded to watch for manatees and adhere to posted speed zones.”
The Save the Manatee Club stated in a press release that “the last winter season brought many challenges to manatees, including very cold temperatures and starvation from a massive loss of seagrass forage near a key warm-water refuge in the Northern Indian River Lagoon (IRL). Despite such, people should still not feed manatees or interrupt their annual migration.”
Manatees that are fed are also more likely to approach boats or docks expecting food, which makes them susceptible to injury, death, or harassment.
The Save the Manatee Club has information on how to protect seagrasses and prevent harmful algal blooms at savethemanatee.org/algae.