Marine Canary in the Coal Mine: The Latest Threats to Manatee Survival and Efforts to Save Them

The authors grew up in Florida and love manatees, big gentle sea cows that are a symbol of the state. But recently, hundreds of manatees have been found dead, alarming scientists and government officials. This could indicate a bigger problem affecting the environment and even human health. The laws protecting Florida’s manatees have been inconsistent and faced criticism. In 2021, there has been a surge in manatee deaths, likely due to degraded Florida waters. This article looks at the history of legal protections for manatees, their current status, and the causes of the recent deaths. It also discusses the impact of water quality degradation on manatees and the regulations in place to protect their habitats. The Florida manatee is a type of West Indian manatee and lives in Florida and parts of Georgia. They eat aquatic plants and need fresh water to survive. Their main threats are cold temperatures, hurricanes, and red tide. They used to be endangered, but now they are considered threatened. They have been protected by laws for a long time, but some groups want to expand their protected areas. West Indian manatees are protected under the MMPA and ESA due to their “threatened” status. Despite these protections, manatees are dying at an alarming rate in 2021, particularly in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) area. The cause of death for many manatees seems to be starvation, as their food source, seagrass, has been dwindling due to algal blooms and red tide outbreaks. This has prompted the FWS to declare an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) to investigate and provide more resources for conservation. The situation is concerning, and scientists and officials are working to understand and address the ongoing manatee mortality episode. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating why so many manatees are dying in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) in 2021. They think it’s because there isn’t enough food for them, and they believe algal blooms are killing the sea grass that manatees eat. They suspect that pollution from agriculture is contributing to the problem. Florida has rules in place to limit pollution from farms, but some experts think those rules aren’t strict enough. Over 2 million pounds of harmful chemicals from farms, lawn fertilizers, and leaky septic tanks end up in the IRL every year. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) works with water management districts to monitor nutrient levels in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and ensure that agricultural producers are following rules to protect the environment. FDEP checks on seagrass growth every two years to see if the producers are following the rules. If the seagrass isn’t growing enough, FDEP will reassess the rules. FDEP recently proposed new rules for nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the IRL and asked farmers to follow them by 2030. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) checks to make sure farmers are following the rules. A new law passed in 2020 requires FDACS to visit farms more often to check on their practices and make sure they’re reducing nutrient levels in the water. The BMP program had a setback because there weren’t enough staff to sign up producers and check if they were following the BMPs. The COVID-19 pandemic made it even harder to visit farms. But FDACS got more money in the budget to hire more staff, so they should be better able to check on farms once it’s safe to go back out in the field. The Florida government has a program to help farmers and landowners use best management practices (BMPs) to protect the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). But there are no clear consequences for those who don’t follow the rules. Governor DeSantis approved funding for water-quality projects in the IRL and is trying to fix leaky septic tanks and untreated wastewater. Watercraft strikes are also a big problem for manatees. More than 400 manatees have died and many haven’t been examined to find out why. The manatee population has decreased, and it’s important to focus on protecting them. Save the Manatee Club (SMC) is a nonprofit organization that works to protect manatees and their habitat. They are concerned about the recent increase in manatee deaths and are calling for more support from the government to help sick and injured manatees. They also want to prevent new sources of pollution from entering the manatees’ habitat. There are also concerns about the protection of manatee habitat, as some events leading to loss of seagrass are not being considered in the government’s decisions. The West Indian manatee is in danger because of pollution and habitat loss. Efforts to clean up the Indian River Lagoon and reduce nutrient pollution are important for protecting the manatees. The Florida government is also providing funding for manatee habitat restoration. It’s a critical effort to help save the manatees. Florida’s manatees are in danger because they don’t have enough seagrass to eat. This is because of pollution in the water. If we don’t do something, the manatees will keep starving. We need to study and fix these problems to save the manatees and protect other marine life. It’s important for everyone’s safety. Let’s save the manatees!

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/marine-canary-in-the-coal-mine-the-latest-threats-to-manatee-survival-and-efforts-to-save-them/