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Among the 50 to 150 sheep currently gathered at the Florida Power & Light Co. In northern Brevard County this week some dugongs have heads shaped like peanuts, a sign of emaciation from hunger.
But Michelle Bassawicz sees mostly positive signs at the Port St. John power plant that threatened species are rebounding, at least here. They actively gorge on lettuce that is hand fed inside the warm water drainage area of the FPL plant. There are no dugong carcasses in sight. And most importantly, they flirt with each other.
“We’re very positive because we see those animals take the food offered to them,” said Basawish, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. “The manatees seem to be in better shape overall.”
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Florida and federal wildlife officials suspect that manatees may be in better shape this winter than last winter due to warmer weather, increased vegetation once again in the area, or in part, the state agency’s feeding efforts. However, they warn that if coastal waters such as the Indian River Lake remain too cold for too long, the manatee death toll could become another setback for a species already dying out in record numbers.
The National Weather Service expects lows in the 30s this weekend for parts of the state.
Meanwhile, biologists like Pasawich are examining manatees crowded in canals and warm-water discharge areas near power plants to see if they need to be rescued.
The cold is always a danger for manatees, even in the best of times when there is plenty of seaweed for them to eat. When water temperatures drop below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks at a time, manatees suffer from cold stress syndrome. This leads to weight loss, fat loss, dehydration, and other health problems that can take them down after weeks. Juvenile manatees are particularly at risk.
Total manatee deaths in Florida have decreased since the catastrophic mass death in 2021. According to the latest numbers from the FWC, at least 344 manatees have died in Brevard as of December 23, about 44% from last year’s (2022) 783 deaths manatee. In 2021, a record 1,101 manatees died statewide, most of them from starvation due to long-term loss of seaweed caused by pollution.
FWC officials said Wednesday that only a few manatees have died so far this year, but official statistics won’t be updated until later this week.
The manatee death toll got so bad by the spring of 2021 that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the death an unusual mortality event. As a result, in a first-of-its-kind pilot project to try to stave off further starvation, federal and state biologists fed manatees at the FPL plant last winter through the end of March and are continuing to do so this year.
Manatee deaths due to chronic malnutrition have been a winter problem for the past two years. The cold adds extra stress to the manatees, who are already physically stressed. This led the FWC officers to worry about how the current winter’s cold would affect the already weak and starving manatees.
The agency urged the general public not to feed manatees or give them fresh water, as it could train them to depend on humans and cause them to lose their instincts to find food.
Officials said Wednesday that state and federal wildlife officials have moved about 30,000 pounds of lettuce to the Fubel plant, and another 25,000 pounds is on the way.
“Everything is in way or in place,” John Wallace of the US Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday, adding that feeding will be a long-term effort. “It will continue for several months, until spring.”
If you see a sick or injured manatee, call the FWC Wildlife Alert number: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922)Press “7” to speak with the operator.
Jim Weimer is environmental reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Or find him on Twitter: @employee or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.way