Rescued Manatee Sickened By Red Tide Under Care At ZooTampa

TAMPA, FL — As red tide continues to impact Florida's west coast, causing more than 3.4 million pounds of dead fish and other marine life to wash up on beaches and into canals, ZooTampa is hoping that one manatee won't be added to the rising mortality rate.

On Monday, a female manatee was rescued near Sarasota by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and brought to the ZooTampa David A. Straz Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center in the hopes of saving her life.

This is the 23rd manatee treated at the critical care center this year. The center is one of only four facilities that specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured and orphaned manatees.

The first 24 hours after a manatee is rescued are critical. A team of animal care and medical professionals will monitor her around the clock for signs of respiratory failure.

Red tide is caused by a species of algae, Karenia brevis, that secretes a toxin that affects the nervous system. When the algae is ingested by manatees as they graze on seagrass, it can cause seizures and paralysis. If they aren't rescued in time, the giant mammals can't rise to the surface of the water to breathe and end up drowning.

“With the fate of Florida’s manatees at a crossroads, we continue our unwavering commitment to a species that has been at the heart of our mission for more than 20 years,” said Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, senior vice president of animal health, conservation and education at ZooTampa. “Finding a conservation solution to the manatee crisis will take a collaborative effort by experts, scientists and the public. Whether it is providing animal rescue or veterinary support to manatees and other species, the professional staff at ZooTampa stand ready to help however we can.”

ZooTampa's state-of-the-art David A Straz Jr. center has cared for more than 500 injured, sick and orphaned manatees with the majority returned to Florida waters. The center is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is an active member of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, a cooperative group of nonprofit, private state and federal entities dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, release and monitoring of manatees.

Although manatees have been taken off the endangered list, they are still classified as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act and marine biologists say rising mortality rate could put the manatee back in the endangered category.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 850 manatees have died in 2021. That's nearly 10 percent of the 8,810 manatees that inhabit the waters around Florida. That surpasses the previous highest statewide death rate of 830 manatees in 2013.

The majority of manatee deaths are caused by strikes from careless boaters. However, the FWC is seeing an increasing number of manatees succumb to the red tide that's been plaguing the waters along the west coast.

From Jan. 9 to July 22, the FWC said it has found 32 manatees dead in the red tide zone, which includes Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. So far, examinations have confirmed that nine died as a result of ingesting red tide toxins. Two were killed by a boat strikes, and eight were too decomposed to determine the cause of death.

Between June 17 and July 22, 14 manatees were found dead in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Anyone who spots a manatee in distress is urged to call FWC's Wildlife Alert toll-free number at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922), press "7" to speak with an operator.

Cellular phone customers can dial *FWC or #FWC.

See related stories:

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• Manatee Deaths Surge In Florida, Experts Say Starvation Possible
• Red Tide Combined With Fish Kills Can Make Residents Doubly Sick
• High Levels Of Red Tide Detected In Hillsborough, Pasco Counties
• Rotten Fish Bodies From Red Tide Foul Bay, City Cleans Up