Florida
Boat strikes claim record number of manatees in 2016
The Florida manatee has been subjected to a record number of deaths by boat strikes this year, according to the most recent data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
As of Dec. 2, 98 manatees have been killed by boats. The last record boat strike death count was 97 in 2009.
Since the Bradenton Herald first reported last month on the rise of manatee deaths, 42 more manatees across the state had died. Deaths in general are on the rise by over 16 percent from last year, as 472 dead manatees have been recorded this year by the FWC.
The record total number of deaths is from 2013 with 830 recorded.
In Manatee County, two more manatees were found to have died from natural causes since early November. In total, five died of natural causes; one died of cold stress syndrome; two died within weeks of birth; two causes of death were undetermined; and four were hit by boats.
Manatees are also sensitive to red tide and cold water.
According to the Center of Biological Diversity, boat collisions are one of the most frequent causes of death in many marine mammals, including the North Atlantic right whale, the blue whale and the Florida manatees.
Hannah Morse: 941-745-7055, @mannahhorse
Comments