As the editorial suggests, it would be a good idea to join the Save the Manatee Club. As for looking to DeSantis, Rubio or Scott for help, don’t count on them. They, especially Scott, are part of the problem and apparently don’t give a hoot about the manatees or polluted water causing the problem.
If we are looking for causes we must include the FDEP which also allows our waterways to decline in flow and increase in pollution, and the FWC which contributes to water pollution by the use of aquatic herbicides which exacerbate nutrients.
Polluted water is costing Florida in many ways that money-blinded Scott and his ilk cannot fathom. Millions have been lost to no-show tourism because of Florida’s policy of accommodating business and using up the water until there is none left.
Florida could turn this around if they would limit aquifer pumping and excess fertilizer, but they will not confront agriculture or anyone wishing to pump water.
This started long before Scott but has become the modus operandi since he was governor.
Read the original editorial here in the Palm Beach Post.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Florida’s Starving Manatees Need More Than Good Intentions and Lettuce
Dec. 26, 2021
Florida’s iconic manatees are dying of starvation.
Federal and state wildlife experts this month are taking the unprecedented — some might say desperate — step to feed manatees romaine lettuce , one of several plans to find a substitute for underwater seagrasses and prevent another winter famine that overwhelmed rescue operations faced with malnourished and dead manatees.
The current crisis is part of the ecological catastrophe tied to the ongoing problems of water pollution. Nutrient-rich discharges from Lake Okeechobee, wastes from aging septic tanks and fertilizer runoff from farms to manicured lawns have taken a toll along Florida’s Atlantic coast in the form of algae blooms. Algae blocks sunlight to underwater seagrasses that are food for the manatees and habitat to other marine life.
For the sea cows, returning to their Florida winter habitat, the devastation of their primary food source amounts to an environmental disaster. For Floridians, who take pride in their state’s natural beauty, the crisis should be an unmitigated embarrassment.
Since Jan. 1, more than 1,000 manatees have died in Florida’s waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Compare that figure with the annual average death rate of 554 between 2016 through 2020. The Indian River Lagoon is especially worrisome habitat that has seen the desecration of seagrasses.
To address the crisis, the FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have set up a tightly controlled supplemental feeding program. Vegetation used in the feedings has been selected in consultation with manatee nutrition experts, and the feeding spots will be some distance from public view. For the animals’ safety, precautions are necessary….
HOW THE PUBLIC CAN HELP:
Support reputable conservation and aquatic and marine rehabilitation organizations, like Save the Manatee Club , a Maitland-based nonprofit that protects manatees and their habitat. The club can be reached at 407-539-0990 or 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).
Urge Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers to fully fund Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Environmental Protection programs that improve water quality and protect threatened animals and their habitats.
Urge Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with your local congressperson, to support H.R. 4946, the federal Manatee Protection Act , that would upgrade the West Indian manatee from ‘threatened’ to ‘endangered’ under the Endangered Species Act and provide increased federal resources to help Florida’s beleaguered manatees.
Take individual responsibility for conservation. Homeowners should avoid overuse of fertilizers, which contribute to algae blooms, and boaters should abide by marine speed limits in waters that are home to the manatees.
Remember, it’s illegal to feed a manatee. Whatever you do, don’t do that.
