Manatees dying at an alarming rate in Florida
NBC News — Florida’s manatees are dying at unusually high rates this year, and experts said the sustained loss of a key food source is to blame.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s most recent report, which spans Jan. 1 to May 28, recorded 761 manatee deaths in 2021. Researchers are concerned that the current death rate could surpass the record 804 manatee deaths recorded in 2018.
“If this continues through the rest of the year, this is going to be one of the highest mortality years ever,” said Jon Moore, a marine biologist and oceanographer...