State's manatee deaths hit record high

Sonja Isger and Cynthia Roldan -

A record number of manatee deaths this year has state wildlife officials scrambling to save Florida's friendly sea cow from freezing to death during cold snaps.

Biologists documented 699 manatee deaths in state waters, with 244 of those attributed directly to "cold stress" - a result of spending too much time in frigid waters during a lengthy January cold snap - the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Friday.

The huge jump in deaths is raising alarms because manatee deaths, which have been rising precipitously since 2007, numbered just 429 in 2009.

"We are very concerned about the unusually high number of manatee deaths this year," said Gil McRae, director of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.

Katie Tripp, director of science and conservation for the Save the Manatees Club, echoed those concerns.

"What happened last winter really showed us the vulnerability of the manatees during the cold weather," Tripp said. "It's a reminder that there is more work to be done."

The National Weather Service dubbed January's cold episode as "historic" and Florida's "coldest 12-day period since 1940." The average temperature in West Palm Beach was 49.9 degrees.

Although Florida had slightly warmer days in the following months, water temperatures remained too cold for the manatees, according to data compiled by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. Between January and April, 503 manatees died.

Watercraft-related deaths for manatees in 2010 were on par with previous years, state wildlife officials said.

To reduce cold-related deaths, officials are looking at ways to increase access to springs that provide natural warm water, which in the past have been blocked off or had less flow because of dams.

Also, because manatees often seek refuge in warm waters given off by power plants during the winter, state officials are working with Florida Power & Light Co., said FPL spokesman Greg Brostowicz.

He said that although FPL's Riviera Beach plant is not operating, a temporary heater worth $4.5 million is still in place to keep the manatees warm, as required by the Endangered Species Act.

It will remain there, he said, until the new plant comes on line in 2014 and warm water flow is restored.

No cold-related manatee deaths have been reported during the most recent cold snaps, wildlife officials said.

Read more...

Posted via http://batavia08.posterous.com batavia08's posterous