Manatees, the gentle mammals known as "sea cows," are dying at a record rate. Most have starved in the Indian River Lagoon along the state's Atlantic Coast, as sea grasses - their main food source - are smothered by algae blooms from too many nutrients being released into waterways.
Now, red tide along the Gulf Coast has added to their mortality rate. And there's always the threat from being struck by boat propellers.
More than 1,000 manatees died last year, out of an estimated population of 6,000 to 7,000 manatees in Florida.
This week, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium held a groundbreaking on a new manatee rehabilitation facility. It is being funded by the State of Florida, Duke Energy Foundation, John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program and a handful of private donors.
One of the state's foremost authorities on manatees is James "Buddy" Powell, who has studied sea cows around the world. He is now the chief zoological officer for the aquarium.
He speaks with WUSF's Steve Newborn about the importance of saving these gentle creatures.
WUSF: Tell us how bad the situation is for manatees right now. We've been hearing about record numbers that have been dying in the last couple of years. We know the reason over in the Indian River, but is it happening statewide? Are those numbers kind of skewing it for everybody else?
POWELL: Over on the east coast of Florida, particularly in Brevard County, there has been a die back of seagrass, which is the food for manatees, particularly when they're aggregating around a power plant there. But really, that situation on over on the east coast is due to deterioration of water quality.
So we're seeing that around the state of Florida as well. And so these conditions perhaps are not exactly the same. In Brevard County, there are certainly situations around the state that gives us a lot of concern, for example, with here on the west coast with red tide. Red tide, as we all know, can sicken manatees or actually kill them directly. So that's why this site right here on the west coast of Florida, sort of in the core red tide region is going to be particularly important.
Are we seeing manatees dying specifically from Red Tide?
Red tide can sicken manatees as a consequence of the neurotoxin, and if they're rescued, then they can be rehabilitated and released back out in the wild. But from time to time, manatees just get too much of a dose of that neurotoxin and end up dying. We've seen a lot of that here now. Currently, no. But a few months ago, we did have a red tide outbreak. So along this West Coast, we did have animals that succumb to red tide.
So what can be done if they if they contract red tide? Basically give them clean water? Or is there anything you do as far as any kind of medicine?
Basically, with red tide, you have to let it just sort of clear out of their system, and then they'll tend to recover on their own. But really, the underlying situation is not only what's happening on the East Coast, as a consequence of more nutrients going into our estuaries and lagoons and bays is that we're seeing a similar situation that may be feeding red tide outbreaks as well - like what happened with the Piney Point release of nutrients into Tampa Bay. And so it's really important not only just for manatees to try to clean up our water, but a host of other critters and organisms that are depending upon and eating clean water, including ourselves.
So tell me about this new facility that's going to be here. How many manatees are they going to be able to treat? And how does that compare to what the capacity is out there?
Now, we've had so many manatees that needed to be rescued, particularly over these past few years, there was a real need to increase the capacity of the overall partnership, the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership. So we started this first as a holding facility. And then it was identified that there was more of a need or an additional need for more critical care facilities, basically, the emergency room for manatees. And so that's one of the things that we're doing here is constructing that critical care or ability to provide critical care.
So we expect to be able to house seven to eight manatees and really they'll be rotating in and out, because the whole point of this is to nurse them back to health so they can be released into the wild.
"There are only four critical care facilities and so this will be the fifth one. So you've got part of this consortium, the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership. You've got ZooTampa, Sea World, Bishop Museum, Jacksonville Zoo. And even when we reach so much capacity, manatees are actually transported up to Ohio to the Columbus Zoo and Cincinnati Zoo. So that's why it's so important for us to be able to have more ability to house manatees here in Florida." - Buddy Powell
There are only four critical care facilities and so this will be the fifth one. So you've got part of this consortium, the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership. You've got ZooTampa, Sea World, Bishop Museum, Jacksonville Zoo. And even when we reach so much capacity, manatees are actually transported up to Ohio to the Columbus Zoo and Cincinnati Zoo. So that's why it's so important for us to be able to have more ability to house manatees here in Florida.
That's amazing, going all the way to Ohio. I mean, the mortality rate has got to be pretty bad transporting them that far.
No, actually, unlike cetaceans, manatees have very thick ribs, so it can support their weight. And so it is a long way. They're basically sent on a jet airplane up to Ohio, and then returned back here when they can be released.
Tell our listeners what they can do to help ensure that manatees won't become a memory in our lifetime.
So there are things that people can do directly, one of which is obey the manatee speed zones, wear polarized glasses. Be on the lookout for manatees, because they're everywhere. They're all throughout our waterways. And so expect to see them run across them. So slow speeds is very important.
But the other thing too, is just paying attention to the fact that it's not just collisions with boats but it's also related to healthy habitats. And so that's where try to reduce the fertilizers. Try to reduce the amount of nutrient input into our bays and estuaries so that the water stays clean, not just for manatees, but for all the other animals that live there as well.
Anything else you want to mention?
No, except we're incredibly appreciative of private donors, the state, the federal government, as well as allowing us to be able to build this facility here at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
