UPDATE FEBRUARY 23, 2022:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — More than 80 rescued Florida manatees are in rehabilitation centers across the U.S. as wildlife officials try to stem starvation deaths by the marine mammals because of poor water quality. The latest numbers were released Wednesday (Feb. 23, 2022) by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of an unprecedented effort to feed and treat starving manatees. Officials say the state provided about $1.2 million for the treatment effort with the rest of the increasing costs borne by facilities such as the SeaWorld rescue program in Orlando. There are 13 such locations in Florida, Texas, Ohio, Puerto Rico and elsewhere.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 4, 2022:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The SeaWorld theme park in Orlando is opening new pools to care for Florida manatees that are dying because of starvation due to poor water quality in their normal habitat. The lovable, round-tailed marine mammals had their worst die-off last year (2021) and there are federal and state efforts ongoing to save them. Among them is having the marine asset-rich SeaWorld provide rehabilitation to those that can be rescued. SeaWorld announced Friday that it has added five 40-foot pools to accommodate up to 20 manatees within two weeks. The theme park is one of five facilities in the U.S. taking care of sick and injured manatees.
UPDATE JANUARY 21, 2022:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Manatees at risk of starvation because native seagrass is dying due to water pollution have begun eating lettuce under an experimental feeding program. Florida wildlife officials said Friday (Jan. 21, 2022) that the test facility in the east coast’s Indian River Lagoon had its first takers of romaine lettuce Thursday (Jan. 20, 2022), leading more manatees to eat the food. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials say the unprecedented feeding program is a state and federal response to last year’s record number of 1,101 documented manatee deaths. Many starve because water pollution has triggered algae blooms that have decimated seagrass beds on which manatees depend.
UPDATE JANUARY 13, 2022:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — An unprecedented, experimental attempt to feed manatees facing starvation in Florida has started slowly but wildlife officials expressed optimism it will work as cold weather drives the marine mammals toward warmer waters. Officials said Thursday that a feeding station established along the state’s east coast has yet to entice manatees with romaine lettuce even though the animals will eat it in captivity. Water pollution from agricultural, urban and other sources has decimated seagrass beds on which manatees depend, leading to a record 1,101 manatee deaths largely from starvation in 2021. The typical five-year average is about 625 deaths.
DECEMBER 16, 2021:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — As winter approaches Florida, state wildlife officials say a test feeding plan will save many threatened manatees from starvation. But they say the manatees will still face the threat of manmade water pollution stifling their food supply. The state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was told at a hearing Wednesday (Dec. 15, 2021) that manatees will congregate at warm-water sites such as power plants as the ocean temperatures cool, and there may not be enough seagrass to sustain them. The controlled feeding program at a Florida Power and Light plant on the East Coast is unique. Officials say people should not randomly feed them, which is illegal and leads to an unhealthy association between the animals and food.
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