Manatees Are Dying In Record Numbers, But Help May Be On Way

FLORIDA — As the number of manatee deaths in Florida this year reaches record levels, wildlife officials are asking lawmakers for nearly $7 million to help save the state's official marine mammal.

Massive blooms of toxic algae, which plagued Florida's coast in 2018 and again this year, not only caused manatees to sicken and die in record numbers, but also killed off the seagrass beds that the herbivores depend on for food.

If something isn't done to replenish their food supplies, researchers say the marine mammal could be destined to die off from starvation. Programs are focused on increasing the habitat the manatees feed on.

In the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge in the United States specifically created to protect the critical habitats for the manatee, researchers are attempting to find ways to replenish seagrass beds to stave off starvation.

Crystal River has long been a refuge for manatees during the winter months when the waters of the Gulf of Mexico become too frigid for the warm-water sea creatures. Manatees can be found in the refuge year round, but their population soars between November and March when they leave the Gulf of Mexico in favor of the 72-degree spring waters of Kings Bay and the Homosassa River.

“There are several successful projects going on in Crystal River and Homosassa to help restore and maintain a healthy environment to protect and preserve manatees,” said John Pricher, director of Discover Crystal River Florida.

On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis released his budget recommendation for the 2021-22 legislative session that includes funding for research, enforcement and aquatic restoration to help save Florida's West Indian manatee.

In recent years, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the population of the gentle sea cow has dwindled to just 8,800 in the southeastern United States due to a combination of starvation, red tide toxin poisoning and boat strikes.

The FWC has now recorded an unprecedented 1,038 manatees deaths in Florida in 2021, up from 637 in 2020. Another 130 manatees have been rescued and are being nursed back to health by FWC partners including the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, ZooTampa and the Mote Marine Laboratory.

The rising number of manatee deaths this year prompted U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-FL, and Darren Soto, D-FL, to introduce legislation to grant manatees the highest level of federal protection available.

The Manatee Protection Act, H.R. 4946, would officially upgrade the West Indian manatee from “threatened” to “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act.

Although the manatee is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, the marine mammal was taken off the endangered species list in 2017 after being listed since 1966.

Their upgraded status to protected species was mostly due to the FWC establishing manatee protection zones and regulating boating in areas where manatees congregated, resulting in a healthy increase in the marine mammal's numbers.

“Manatees are beloved, iconic mammals in Florida,” said Buchanan. “This year’s record-breaking number of manatee deaths is staggering and extremely concerning, which is why upgrading their ESA status is absolutely critical. We must do everything we can to protect these gentle giants and Florida’s official marine mammal.”

“2021 has been the deadliest year for the West Indian manatee in our home state of Florida," said Soto. "These mass deaths should alarm us all and incite us to take immediate action to protect these precious mammals. By adding the West Indian manatee to the ESA’s endangered list, we are ensuring that necessary steps are taken to prevent any more unnecessary deaths.”

With the ESA status comes more federal dollars for research and enforcement measures to protect the manatee.

There are other research projects underway that could benefit from both federal and state dollars.

Among the most notable are efforts to save the Three Sisters Springs manatee sanctuary; to designate Kings Bay a manatee refuge; and to continue the establishment of the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve, which has created a large, contiguous protected area for the Gulf of Mexico’s largest seagrass meadow.

Two other ongoing efforts are the Kings Bay Restoration Project and the Homosassa River Restoration Project.

Started in 2015, the Kings Bay Restoration Project has seen success by replanting a freshwater variety of native eel grass called “Rock Star” in the coastal bay. The grasses survived the first winter and even spread to nearby parts of Kings Bay. Manatees can now be seen feeding on the eel grass.

Inspired by the results on Kings Bay, another advocacy group – the Homosassa River Restoration Project – secured state funding to begin similar work planting eel grass on the Homosassa River last year.

The FWC said DeSantis' budget recommendation will provide funding to bolster those research efforts as well as add conservation officers to enforce and respond to calls of manatees in distress.

The proposed budget includes:

• $5.2 million for 24 additional conservation officers.
• $12.3 million for enforcement equipment and operations.
• $3.8 million for manatee care including $717,767 for two full-time positions to respond to calls about distressed manatees.
• $3 million for the restoration of waterways including rivers and springs that serve as havens for the manatee.
• $7.2 million for increased boating safety enforcement.
• $4.2 million for continued red tide research.

Gil McRae, director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in Pinellas County, said some of these funds will go toward rebuilding seagrass beds in the Indian River Lagoon, another favorite gathering spot for manatees. Over the past decade, an estimated 58 percent of the seagrass beds in the lagoon have been killed off by red tide.

“We know we're likely going to have a challenge with this particular issue in the Indian River Lagoon for a number of years,” McRae said.

The current budget already includes $8 million to improve manatee habitat and access to Florida’s natural springs. The FWC is using a portion of those funds to restore aquatic vegetation in springs along the St. Johns River and at Blue Spring State Park.

DeSantis' budget also includes $53 million for 13 water-quality improvement projects including eliminating more than 3,000 septic tanks and upgrading three wastewater treatment facilities.

“Its main goal is to reduce that nitrogen loading into the (Indian River) lagoon,” McRae said. “That's the real water quality issue that needs to be addressed.”

Related stories:

• Rescued Manatee Sickened By Red Tide Under Care At ZooTampa
• Deaths Of Rare Sea Turtles, Manatees Attributed To Red Tide Toxin
• Record Deaths Of Manatees Prompt Urgent Need For New Rehab Center
• Manatee Deaths Surge In Florida, Experts Say Starvation Possible