Manatee Deaths Surge In Florida, Experts Say Starvation Possible

FLORIDA — More than 400 manatees have died since the start of the year, far outpacing previous years’ deaths in less than three months, according to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Between Jan. 1 and Friday, 432 manatees have been killed in Florida, the FWC said.

In 2020, 637 manatees died in the entire year. The five-year average for manatee deaths between 2015 to 2020 is 578 deaths annually.

So far in 2021, the majority of manatee deaths – 41 - have been attributed to cold stress. Another 32 died of natural causes and 29 were perinatal deaths, according to the FWC. Additionally, 17 died after being hit by watercraft and two died due to other human behavior, while 14 deaths were undetermined and 297 weren’t autopsied.

The FWC is investigating the high level of manatee mortalities and is focusing on responding to manatee rescues along central and southern portions of Florida’s East Coast, according to a statement on the agency’s website.

The most deaths have taken place in Brevard County, where 179 dead manatees were found.

This is because tens of thousands of acres of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon — which manatees depend on for food — have disappeared, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. About 58 percent of the seagrass in that lagoon system has disappeared since 2009.

"This is the first time I've seen them starving," Patrick Rose, a biologist and the executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, told the newspaper. "It's been out of control. Essentially, it's an emergency."

The Indian River Lagoon system runs 165 miles from Volusia County to Port St. Lucie.

“Environmental conditions in portions of the Indian River Lagoon remain a concern. Preliminary information indicates that a reduction in food availability is a contributing factor,” the FWC stated on its website.

The agency added, “As water temperatures warm, manatees naturally disperse 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.”