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Freezing Weather Impacting Manatees and Crops

fshflorida.org

By Trimmel Gomes

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-941090.mp3

Tallahassee, FL – The cold weather being swept across Florida is breaking records, forcing farmers to rush their crops to harvest and forcing wildlife to fight to stay warm. Trimmel Gomes reports.

"This is where they come when it gets cold. They are right in the swimming area."

Standing on a diving platform at Wakulla Springs State Park, Manley Fuller with the Florida Wildlife Federation watches as about eight manatees gather together in the warmer water.

"They sometimes will do that; males will bunch up around the female, so they're so tight together, I think there is something going on here."

So far, the weather has claimed the lives of more than five-hundred manatees this year. The cold temperatures continue to wreak havoc on the state's crops. There has been scattered damage to green beans, peppers, and tomato plants.