Focus on Arts and Ecology

Jon,

Fast approaching 1,000 deaths, 2021 has been the deadliest year on record for manatees living in the warm coastal waters off Florida. According to state officials, the major cause is starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds, which are dying off because of deteriorating water quality.

Will you take action to help these gentle giants?

To make matters worse, experts worry that winter could bring more mass manatee deaths since the ecosystem impacts that affect their health have not been addressed or improved.

The reclassification of manatee conservation status from “Endangered” to “Threatened” in 2017 came as the manatee population was rebounding—the population went from about 1,200 manatees in Florida in 1991 to more than 6,100 in 2018. That marked a fivefold increase in the manatee population in less than three decades, but, unfortunately, those conservation gains have not held, and the decision to reclassify manatees may have been made too hastily.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported that 988 manatee deaths were recorded between January 1 and October 29 of this year, breaking the previous record of 830 that died in 2013 because of an outbreak of toxic red tide.

Now that manatee deaths are skyrocketing, it’s clear that manatees once again need our help. Will you take action by asking the United States Department of Interior to put the manatee back on the endangered species list?

The Endangered Species Act is critical to keeping our nation’s most threatened marine wildlife safe from harm. When a species is listed as endangered, the federal and local governments put measures and regulations in place that protect imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.

It's up to us to advocate for manatees.

You’d be hard pressed to find a gentler and more amiable animal than the manatee. Help us make sure they continue to thrive.

With voices like yours, we can help protect one of the most beloved animals of Florida and keep manatees around for generations to come.

For our ocean,

Jon Paul, “J.P.” Brooker
Director, Florida Program
Ocean Conservancy

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