Manatees

Law enforcement will crack down on boating under the influence and speed-zone violations as the summer season begins.

More than 2,000 of the gentle sea cows have died in Florida in the last two years, mainly from algae blooms that smothers the sea grasses they need to survive.

At the heart of the die-off are water quality problems and seagrass losses in the Indian River Lagoon, a crucial manatee habitat.

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews helped free a manatee stuck in the low tide as fans flocked to the Jaguars game nearby.

They include feeding lettuce for the second straight year, as poor water quality and algae blooms have depleted seagrass beds that provide a key food source for manatees in the Indian River Lagoon.

Calling declines in the manatee population since 2017 “dramatic” a coalition of groups have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase protections for the aquatic mammal.

After a record number of manatee deaths mostly linked to malnutrition, state and federal wildlife officials hope to double rescue and rehabilitation capacity before the sea cows again congregate in warm waters during the winter.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the money will expand the network of acute care facilities like the one at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to treat injured and distressed manatees.

During 2021 an unprecedented 937 manatees have died in Florida, more than double the five-year annual average only nine months into the year. The staggering loss represents 10% of the animal’s population in the state, estimated at 8,810.

With more than 900 manatee deaths this year in Florida, conservation groups signaled Monday that they plan to file a lawsuit against the federal…