“Florida Breaks Manatee Death Record in First Six Months of 2021.” BBC News, BBC, 12 July 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57802165.
Between January 1st and July 2nd, 841 manatees have died in waters near Florida caused by the dying out of seagrass beds that manatees rely on for food. In the past 5 years, the average number of manatee deaths in Florida per year was around 250. These seagrass beds have been dying out due to water pollution brought on by increased waste contamination in waterways. The increase in waste contamination has led to an increase in algae and a decrease in seagrass. Environmental groups advise that the government declare a state of emergency regarding the manatees but the government refused, claiming they already have the necessary resources to handle it.
The manatee crisis is just one instance of the larger issue of water pollution causing species to die out. Although the government claims that they have the necessary resources to handle the manatee crisis, based on the data provided, it is clear that they are not effectively using the resources since the number of manatees dead has tripled. It is concerning to me that species like manatees whose existence is threatened are not a higher priority to people that have the power to make a positive impact.
Of course we all love the manatees and no one wants to hear about so many deaths. Did the article mention if they stressed by the algae, or the lack of sea grass. Manatees are mammals so wouldn’t be directly affected by lower dissolved oxygen… but maybe it’s the sea grass. Is fertilizer runoff behind this scenario?
Nice post!
Thank you! I realize I didn’t entirely explain the situation. The increase in algae has been blocking seagrass from getting the light necessary for it to survive. The lack of seagrass is what is posing a threat to manatees. This article focuses on waste contamination being behind the algae blooms but I wouldn’t be surprised if fertilizer runoff was also a contributor.
This is definitely a major environmental crisis as it is for sure not only harming these manatees, but other species as well. How does the increase in algae a negative thing, and does it directly affect the amount of seagrass? What are other human affects that may also be included other than waste contamination?