Cold weather in the Sunshine State resulted in a high rate of manatee deaths in 2011, the third straight year with high numbers of deaths for the species.
Some 453 manatee bodies were found in Florida waters in 2011, the second-highest number on record, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Wednesday.
Though it didn't come close to the record 766 manatee deaths reported in 2010, officials said the past three years have shown a disturbing trend in cold-related manatee deaths.
"We are concerned about the number of manatee deaths the past three years, including those resulting from exposure to cold weather," Gil McRae, director of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, said in a statement. "Over the next few years, we will use data from monitoring programs to better understand any long-term implications for the population."
According to the FWC, 112 of the manatees in 2011 died from cold stress, compared with 282 in 2011 and 56 in 2009. In the previous five years, cold stress led to the deaths of an average of 30 manatees per year.
"We will continue to work with our partners to enhance the availability of natural warm-water sites, which are important habitats for the species’ survival,” McRae said.
For more on manatee conservation go to MyFWC.com/Manatee.
