manatees

Last year was the second-worst ever when it comes to manatee deaths in Florida. Some 800 mortalities were recorded in 2022.

It will be the second year the wildlife agencies have taken the unprecedented step of providing lettuce for manatees at the power plant in Cape Canaveral.

State wildlife officials Wednesday approved a seasonal no-entry zone in an area of Brevard County waters where manatees gather, while preparing for a second winter of feeding the sea cows to try to prevent deaths.

Plans are already in place to resume an experimental feeding program for manatees that gather at a warm-water power plant near Cape Canaveral.

State wildlife officials are set to establish a “seasonal” no-entry zone in Brevard County waters to further protect threatened manatees, which have seen an unprecedented number of deaths mostly linked to malnutrition.

There have not been as many Florida manatees dying this year, but the iconic sea cows remain in trouble.

Gov. Ron DeSantis hays he will approve more than $30 million in the next state budget to help manatees, after a record number of deaths last year in Florida waters.

Wildlife agencies say they are winding down a program to provide supplemental lettuce for starving manatees in the Indian River Lagoon.

Many of manatee deaths have been attributed to starvation because of declining seagrass beds that are prime foraging areas, particularly in the Indian River Lagoon.

Environmental advocates are encouraged that a bill to open Florida’s seagrass beds to development – which could be devastating for the dwindling manatee population – has only a slim chance of passing the Legislature this session.