Annual manatee deaths in Florida top 800 for the first time
For the first time since records began being kept in Florida in the 1970s, the number of manatee deaths in a single year has topped 800, with two weeks remaining to the end of 2013.
A decade of Florida manatee deaths
2004: 276
2005: 396
2006: 417
2007: 317
2008: 337
2009: 429
2010: 766
2011: 453
2012: 392
2013: 803 (as of Dec. 13)
2004: 276
2005: 396
2006: 417
2007: 317
2008: 337
2009: 429
2010: 766
2011: 453
2012: 392
2013: 803 (as of Dec. 13)
BY CRAIG PITTMAN
Tampa Bay Times
For the first time since records began being kept in Florida in the 1970s, the number of manatee deaths in a single year has topped 800, with two weeks remaining to the end of 2013.
Numbers released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg this week showed the number of dead manatees at 803 as of Dec. 13. That’s about 16 percent of the state’s estimated population of 5,000 manatees.
And 173 of the dead were breeding-age female manatees, Martine DeWit of the institute’s Marine Mammal Pathology Laboratory said Thursday.
Although it’s too soon to say how this will affect the future of the species, she said, “It must have an impact to lose these important breeding females.”
For comparison, last year’s total number of manatee deaths was 392, which is more in line with what’s normal.
Numbers released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg this week showed the number of dead manatees at 803 as of Dec. 13. That’s about 16 percent of the state’s estimated population of 5,000 manatees.
And 173 of the dead were breeding-age female manatees, Martine DeWit of the institute’s Marine Mammal Pathology Laboratory said Thursday.
Although it’s too soon to say how this will affect the future of the species, she said, “It must have an impact to lose these important breeding females.”
For comparison, last year’s total number of manatee deaths was 392, which is more in line with what’s normal.
