Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Elizabeth Fleming, Florida Representative

©David Hinkel, USFWS

2013 is shaping up to be a particularly deadly year for the endangered Florida manatee, whose population is estimated at around 5,000 animals.  More than 460 dead manatees have been documented in the first three months of this year – an alarmingly high number.  It has already topped the number of manatees that died all of last year. What’s going on here?

Well, among other threats, these aquatic mammals are experiencing injury and death in record numbers from exposure to a toxic algal bloom known as red tide in southwest Florida. Lee County has been particularly hard hit, followed by Charlotte County, Sarasota County and Collier County.  Red tide is a naturally occurring event, but this outbreak has persisted since September 2012 and has killed as many as 240 manatees, a new record for red tide deaths in southwest Florida.  Manatees are affected by red tide neurotoxins when they breathe, and even more so when they eat seagrass coated by the algae. The toxins cause seizures that can result in drowning when the animals cannot lift their snouts above the water to breathe.

Some manatees have been found alive but very ill, and have been transported to facilities where they receive around-the-clock care. This is the worst red tide outbreak since 1996, when 151 animals were killed by the algal bloom in the southwest part of the state. Even though the bloom is subsiding, manatees will continue to be affected for some time because toxins from the red tide have settled onto seagrass beds.

On the east coast of Florida, yet another threat is claiming manatee lives in the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County. Nearly 100 manatees have died of an unknown cause, possibly from a different toxin, since July 2012. With most of Brevard’s seagrass eliminated due to a combination of factors (such as cold and drought that resulted in higher salinity) algal blooms known as “brown tide” have developed in the lagoon and impacted water clarity and seagrass growth. In some areas 99 percent of the seagrass has been lost. Without their staple food supply, manatees may be consuming macroalgae or other food sources that are making them ill and killing them.

Red tide algal bloom, ©NOAA

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering a proposal to downlist the manatee from “endangered” to “threatened.” Considering that the existing risks to manatees have not been alleviated and that little is known about emerging new threats, Defenders urges the Service to carefully incorporate these significant losses into their review and assessment of the status of the manatee population.

These large manatee die-offs are the latest struggle in a long history of challenges for the Florida manatee, which was one of the first species protected by the Endangered Species Act when it was enacted in 1973. The leading human-caused threat to manatees is collisions with watercraft. So far this year, 15 manatees have been killed by boats. We expect this number to rise substantially before the year is over, and especially during the summer months. Scientists believe that unless this cause of death is controlled, the manatee population will not recover.

To address this threat, Defenders has been instrumental in the creation of new manatee protection speed zones, sanctuaries and refuge areas. We supported the establishment of manatee speed zones in Tampa Bay and Flagler County, and the creation of the Kings Bay Manatee Refuge that made all but a small portion of the bay a slow-speed area. We advocate for improved enforcement of speed zones and comment on management plans for federal and state parks and refuges to ensure that they adequately address manatee protections.

Manatees at Crystal River NWR, ©Joyce Kleen

An even greater, long-term threat is the loss of warm water habitat that manatees need to survive in winter. The deadliest year on record, 2010, saw 766 manatees killed, nearly 300 of them by an extended period of very cold weather. Because residential development has greatly reduced the natural warm water springs manatees need to stay warm, many of the animals aggregate in the warm-water outfalls at electric power plants on cold winter days. A large percentage of the manatee population could be lost in the future if aging plants are shut down.

Defenders is hard at work to protect manatee habitat. We petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revise critical habitat for the Florida manatee, supported the acquisition of Three Sisters Spring for Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, increased protections for manatees overwintering in Kings Bay and strengthened seagrass protections in Everglades National Park. We advocate for increased protection for natural springs, agency efforts to increase manatee access to springs and adoption by agencies and power companies of a warm-water contingency plan to help manatees transition from artificial to natural sites.

If you’re in Florida and you see a manatee in distress that may be suffering from red tide exposure or any other injury, please call 1-888-404-3922 IMMEDIATELY. Be sure that your actions are not putting manatees at risk: refrain from pursuing, touching, or feeding or watering manatees, and please practice safe boating for the manatees’ sake and yours.

Make way for manatees! That was the message coming from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) yesterday, with the establishment of new manatee protection zones in the state’s Flagler County. The move is an effort to protect the marine mammals in the summer months, when they are most likely to be found in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County, and when increased boat traffic presents a greater risk of injury. And so from May 1 through Sept 7 (once the signs are posted), 2.7 miles of the 18.6 miles of Intracoastal Waterway channel will become slow zones.

The conservation measure aims to improve manatee protection while limiting the impact on local businesses and boaters. Kipp Frohlich, leader of the FWC’s Imperiled Species section, said of the new measure, “In summer, when the new manatee protection zones are in effect, the time needed for a boater to travel the entire length of the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County will increase by about 15 minutes.”

Collisions with watercraft continues to be the leading human-caused threat to Florida manatees, as the slow-moving manatees often cannot avoid the speed boats and other watercraft that frequent the waterways they call home. As a result, propellers and boat hulls inflict serious or mortal wounds, and most manatees have a pattern of scars on their backs or tails after surviving collisions with boats.

Defenders works to protect manatees from fast-moving boats, and has been advocating additional slow speed zones in dangerous areas such as Flagler County since 1997. Florida representative Elizabeth Fleming testified in support of establishing the zones, reminding commissioners yesterday that the state manatee management plan they adopted in 2007 identified addressing manatee-boat strikes in Flagler County as a priority action.

“With more and more boaters using the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County, these areas have become increasingly dangerous for manatees,” she said. “We’re pleased that FWC Commissioners voted to establish the protection zones and make these critical areas safer for the marine mammals.”

That wasn’t the only good news for sea cows this month: on April 26, the FWC denied a petition to undo protections for manatees that went into effect just this year, upholding the establishment of a manatee refuge in the waters of Florida’s Kings Bay that will expand protections for the animals at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.

Learn more:

Read more about Florida manatees and what Defenders is doing to protect these unique animals.

The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1983, and is the only refuge created for the purpose of protecting manatees.

BREAKING: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the establishment of a manatee refuge in the waters of Florida’s Kings Bay that will expand protections for manatees at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.

The new rules designate most of Kings Bay as a slow-speed area, limit high-speed activities in a popular summer water sports area, provide temporary no-entry areas and allow for expansion of “manatee sanctuary” areas where waterborne activities would be prohibited on especially cold days to shelter manatees. The regulations also ban chasing or pursuing manatees, disturbing or touching them while they are feeding or resting, and separating a mother and a calf.

Elizabeth Fleming, Florida representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said, “Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is the most important wintering site for manatees in northwest Florida and one of the best places to see manatees in the entire state. By adopting these new rules, the Fish and Wildlife Service has taken a first step towards helping the refuge better serve its purpose—to safeguard this vulnerable marine mammal. However, without the removal of the dangerous high-speed water sports zone, manatees and people will continue to be at risk in Kings Bay.”

Manatee deaths reached a record high of 766 in 2010, followed by the death of over 450 animals in 2011. Nearly 400 of these died from exposure during an extended period of cold weather.

Due to its naturally occurring warm water springs, Kings Bay, Fla. has been increasingly popular among wintering manatees. But despite the existing network of sanctuaries and other protections in Kings Bay, it remains a very dangerous waterway as manatees are hit by fast-moving boats and harassed by tourists wanting to interact with them. Having flexibility for managers to increase the area and duration of warm-water sanctuary areas will help ensure that manatees in Kings Bay will survive cold winters.

YOU DID IT! Defenders supporters generated almost 54,000 comments in favor of stronger protections for manatees in Kings Bay. Thanks for all your help!

It’s been a chilly new year for Florida manatees, bad news for the temperature-sensitive marine mammals. Fortunately, Florida Power & Light officials came to the rescue during last week’s temperature lows, turning on the heater at the site of their former power plant in Riviera Beach, near the Palm Beach inlet.

Manatees are known to aggregate in warm-water outfalls at power plants on cold winter days, and those in the area didn’t waste any time in flocking to this site—check out some amazing footage below of the gathering. (Hint: watch until 0:47 to see some synchronized sea cow swimming!)

Loss of warm-water habitat now poses the greatest long-term threat to manatee survival. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported last week that a cold-related die-off of manatees in early 2011 contributed to the high numbers of deaths for the species for the year. Scientists predict cold weather will continue to be a problem for the manatee population over the next few decades when aging electric power plants will be shutting down. The FPL plant itself was demolished last year, but the power company is required to warm the water when it falls below 65 degrees until it completes construction of its new natural gas facility in 2014.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working on an emergency rule to expand protected areas for Florida manatees, creating a refuge that includes all of Kings Bay in Crystal River. The rules will ensure the sea cows will have greater access to critical warm water areas during the winter months and address public concerns associated with local, wintertime manatee viewing activities. Learn more about the Kings Bay proposed rule.

Manatee Awareness Month is underway! And this week, the gentle giants begin their annual migration to warmer waters, where they’ll spend the winter months. Highly sensitive to cold, these marine mammals head for the heat once the thermometer drops below 50 degrees (68 degrees below the surface).

Florida manatees aren’t the only ones enjoying the south seas, and fast-moving boats continue to be a major threat to these endangered animals. 2010 was a deadly year for manatees, with a total of 83 killed in collisions with watercraft. This year promises to be equally unlucky, and by November 4, at least 77 of the animals had met a similar fate.

Fortunately, with manatee season comes safety measures. From now until March 31, when manatees return to their summer habitat, wintering hot spots such as those in Kings Bay, Florida (popular due to its naturally occurring warm water springs) are designated “manatee sanctuaries.” In these areas, many waterborne activities are prohibited, making them safer for the hundreds of manatees gathering there. Soon, these much-needed protections may get a boost — a rule being considered by the Fish and Wildlife Service would allow for national wildlife refuge managers to increase the size of the protected areas to accommodate manatees if need be, and make all of Kings Bay a manatee refuge.

To kick off manatee season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others are hosting a public open house at Three Sisters Springs this Saturday. Three Sisters is one of seven manatee sanctuaries in Kings Bay, and the only place in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge to view manatees from the land. Participants will have the chance to watch gathering manatees from the new boardwalk while hearing about what the future holds for Three Sisters Springs. (For Floridians looking for more information about the event, contact Ivan Vicente, US Fish and Wildlife Service, at 352-563-2088, ext. 211.)

In the meantime, there are lots of ways to reduce the risk of collisions with manatees. Boaters and personal watercraft operators should scan the water near or in front of their vessels and look for the signs that manatees are close by, including swirls resembling a large footprint, a repetitive line of half-moon swirls, a mud trail, or a snout or tail breaking the water’s surface. Remember to keep vessels in marked channels and wear polarized sunglasses for better viewing. Most importantly, always obey posted boat speed zones. Moving slow gives boaters and manatees alike more time to avoid one another, and may save one of these slow-moving mammal’s lives.

Learn more:

See manatees moving gracefully through their watery home! Watch video footage provided by our friends at the Save the Manatee Club.

Get more information about the proposed rules in Kings Bay and what they mean for manatees.

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small

They’re big, slow, and always hungry. But they’re also absolutely irresistible, and we can’t help but love them. People travel across the country and from all over the world to Florida in hopes of glimpsing the majestic manatee. These slow-moving marine mammals can weigh more than 1,200 pounds and grow to nearly 10 feet in length. They eat sea grass and other aquatic vegetation they find in the warm coastal waters.

Manatees require warm water to survive which is why they congregate predominantly in Florida  year-round, although they’ve been spotted in waters as far north as Massachusetts in recent years and in waters throughout eastern Texas. This can also be their downfall, however, since man-made sources of warm waters such as power plant discharges also attract manatees. Although they have no natural predators, these graceful giants have long had to fight for survival against threats like climate change and boat collisions.  In 1967, the manatees were listed as an endangered species under a precursor to the Endangered Species Act, primarily as a result of habitat loss which remains a serious concern. Today experts estimate that there are about 5,000 manatees remaining in the United States.

Manatee mother and calf swim side-by-side.

Manatee money-tree

Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal. Possibly as a gesture of gratitude, these massive mammals bring in millions of dollars in tourism revenue annually. Visitors flock to two places in particular to catch a glimpse–Blue Spring State Park and Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where manatees are attracted to the warmer temperatures during winter months. Combined, the two parks draw nearly 400,000 visitors each year from outside their respective counties who spend in excess of $20 million. That revenue supports nearly 400 tourism-related jobs with a payroll of more than $5 million. Read more in Defenders’ Conservation Pays report.

To learn more about manatees, check out Defenders’ profile or the USFWS’ fact sheet.