Good morning,
Since Florida Manatees and Red Tide have been in the news recently, and I’ve received a number of queries about them I thought I’d pass along a quick update. Thus far 2018 has been a terrible year for Manatees in the state of Florida. Between January 1st and August 18th the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) documented a total of 554 Manatee deaths, which surpasses the 538 deaths in 2017. At the current rate, 2018 will replace 2013 (when 830 deaths were documented) as the deadliest year for Manatees in the state of Florida.
In January a total of 6,131 Manatees were counted during the FWC’s annual aerial surveys, down almost 500 from the 6,620 Manatees that were counted in 2017.
Red Tide has been receiving a lot of publicity lately, and there’s no doubt it is a major problem for wild Florida Manatees; this year 29 Red Tide-related deaths have been verified and 74 others are suspected. But deaths documented from other causes (e.g., watercraft strike, cold stress, natural causes) are up as well, likely owing to a growing population facing increasing pressures from human activities and environmental challenges.
Red Tide has also compromised the MRP’s ability to release several Florida Manatees that were rescued in or near areas currently impacted. Below is a link to the FWC’s Red Tide FAQ page for those interested in learning more about it.
http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/faq/
Since 1999 the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has participated in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP). The goals of the program are to rescue injured or ill manatees and rehabilitate them so that they can be released back into Floridian waters. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has cared for 19 Florida Manatees, 13 of which have been released. By housing Manatees like Pippen, Matthew, Miles, and Daphne at Manatee Springs we are keeping open valuable space at critical care facilities like Sea World Orlando. Having these remarkable animals here also gives each of our more than 1.5 million annual guests an opportunity to learn about one of our most important conservation partnerships.
Winton Ray
Curator of Invertebrates, Aquatic Animals & Birds