BREVARD COUNTY, FL -- Cold weather is contributing to the manatee die-off on Florida's Atlantic coast, but the main factor is starvation due to lack of seagrass, according to experts.
Experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service updated reporters on the manatee mortality event centered on the Indian River Lagoon Wednesday. Discovery of east coast manatee carcasses jumped to 46 for the week before last, and the total for January is at least 85, according to Martina de Wit with FWC. She said the UME (unusual mortality event) is ongoing, and that numbers match those from the winter of 2021.
Andy Garrett said that so many manatees have been dying in the Indian River Lagoon that they haven't been able to run necropsies to determine exact cause of death. Rescue efforts have been hampered by a lack of available space at rehab centers. Currently only Sea World is able to take in manatees, as they've been coming in faster than they can be released into the wild.
For the moment, clusters of manatees huddling in warm water are being kept alive with feedings of romaine and butterhead lettuce.
The ultimate fix involves recovering habitats and planting seagrass, as well as restoring clam and oyster populations, as those creatures can remove pollution from the water.
If you see a manatee in distress, you're urged to call the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922.
Listen to the joint FWC-USFWS news conference below:
Photo: FWC