Manatees — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Lukasz Machowczyk
Manatee deaths in Florida were at an all-time high three years ago. Their babies are also dying now.
As of August 23, about 130 manatee calves had been discovered deceased in Florida this year. That is higher than any previous full year in state records going back to 1974 and almost twice the five-year average to far.
“We’ve seen that a lot of these calves are stillborn from our necropsies and monitoring program,” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine mammal veterinarian Martine deWit told weather.com on Monday.
The majority of the discovery is located in Brevard and Volusia counties. Both are close to the Indian River Lagoon, which saw a significant manatee die-off peak in 2021 and 2022.
According to Save the Manatee Club marine biologist Beth Brady, “there was a series of harmful algal blooms that basically shaded out and destroyed the majority of the seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon.” “And unfortunately, manatees forage on sea grasses and many of them starved to death.”
The deaths are still being looked into and were classified as “unusual mortality events,” or UMEs.
The increase in deceased manatee calves this year, according to Brady and deWit, is probably connected to the UME.
“(It’s) a possible sign that animals can conceive, but they’re not yet at the stage where they’ve received enough nutrition to be able to carry the pregnancy to term,” explained Brady.
It might also have to do with the cycles of reproduction.
“Normally they have a calf, then they nourish their calf for another year or two years,” deWit explained. “So every female cycles through that three-year cycle.”
However, the UME upset that balance and most likely resulted in fewer manatee births during its peak years.
“So now that we’ve seen seagrass come back, manatees improving their body condition, reproduction is coming back too,” deWit explained. “This is just pure speculation based on the information that we have, but we probably had a high pregnancy number this year when all the females synchronized and came back into estrus at the same time.”
More births could theoretically result in more dead calves. It’s also crucial to remember that, since manatees were first observed in the 1970s, their population has increased significantly.
“The good news is there are live calves reported in the lagoon as well,” deWit stated. “So we know that there are many, many calves out there that do make it.”
The length of time the increase in deaths persists will probably determine if it becomes a cause for concern.
The fact that they are able to conceive again is, in Brady’s opinion, the most significant development. She hopes that within the next year or so, this number will start to decline.
If you come across a manatee that appears to be deceased or in trouble, contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-3922.
Stories that matter are our priority. At Florida Insider, we make sure that the information we provide our readers is accurate, easy-to-read, and informative. Whether you are interested in business, education, government, history, sports, real estate, nature or travel: we have something for everyone. Follow along for the best stories in the Sunshine State.
Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
