>> IN TONIGHT’S TRASH OUR
TREASURE, OUR MANATEES ARE DYING IN RECORD NUMBERS.
DYING IN RECORD NUMBERS.
>> IN FACT, WE’VE ALREADY
SHATTERED THE RECORD FOR THE
MOST MANATEES LOST IN A SINGLE
YEAR.
SCIENTISTS FEAR THE FUTURE
LOOKS BLEAK FOR THESE BELOVED MARINE MAMMALS IF WE DON’T
MARINE MAMMALS IF WE DON’T
URGENTLY ACT TO SAVE THEM.
HEART BREAK IN THE SUNSHINE
STATE.
OUR MANATEES ARE DYING. >> THIS IS REALLY A VERY SAD
>> THIS IS REALLY A VERY SAD
WAKE UP CALL.
>> IT’S ONLY JULY AND SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE’VE LOST 841 OF
THIS YEAR, WE’VE LOST 841 OF
THESE GENTLE MARINE MAMMALS,
MAKING 2021 THE DEADLIEST ON
RECORD.
>> I THOUGHT LAST YEAR WAS BAD
ENOUGH WHEN WE ARE 637
MANATEES DIE OVER THE ENTIRE
YEAR. >> CORA IS A RESEARCH
>> CORA IS A RESEARCH
ASSOCIATE AT SAVE THE MANATEE,
CLOSELY TRACKING THIS
DEVASTATING TREND, ALREADY BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD
BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD
IN 2013 WHEN 830 DIED BECAUSE
OF A TOXIC RED TIDE.
>> WE MAY SURPASS A THOUSAND
MANATEES THAT WOULD BE DYING
THIS YEAR ALONE AND THAT’S A REALLY SCARY STATISTIC.
REALLY SCARY STATISTIC.
>> ACCORDING TO FWC, 18
MANATEE DEATHS HAVE BEEN
REPORTED IN MONROE COUNTY, 54
IN BROWARD AND A STAGGERING 316 DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED
316 DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED
IN BREVARD COUNTY IN THE
INDIAN RIVER LAGOON AND
SURROUNDING AREAS.
>> IN BREVARD COUNTY ALONE
THEY HAVE LOST 40,000 ACRES OF
SEA GRASS.
THAT’S ABOUT 90% OF THE SEA
GRASS THAT’S BEEN LOST THERE.
>> SEA GRASS IS THE NUMBER ONE
FOOD SOURCE FOR MANATEES.
WITH LARGE SWATHS DISAPPEARING
ACROSS THE STATE AT AN ALARMING RATE, OUR MANATEES
ALARMING RATE, OUR MANATEES
ARE LITERALLY STARVING TO
DEATH. >> WE’VE SEEN MANATEES IN
>> WE’VE SEEN MANATEES IN VERY, VERY E! MASUATED
VERY, VERY E! MASUATED
EMACIATED BODY CONDITIONS.
>> WITH MORE THAN 21 SQUARE
MILES OF SEA GRASS LOST IN
BISCAYNE BAY OVER THE PAST DECADE ALONG, ALLEN SAYS A
DECADE ALONG, ALLEN SAYS A
HUNGRY MANATEE WILL EAT THE
ALGAE THAT’S NOW BEGINNING TO
TAKE OVER.
>> ALGAE MAY NOT HAVE THE
NUTRIENT CONTENT THAT THE SEA
GRASS MAY HAVE AND THAT CAN ABSOLUTELY HAVE A DETRIMENTAL
ABSOLUTELY HAVE A DETRIMENTAL
IMPACT ON THE ANIMAL’S HEALTH.
BUT TO WHAT DEGREE WE’RE NOT
EXACTLY CERTAIN RIGHT NOW.
>> THE ALGAE IS THRIVING
BECAUSE OF ALL THE POLLUTION
WE CONTINUE TO DUMP INTO THE
BAY. SEWAGE AND SEPTIC LEAKS, STORM
SEWAGE AND SEPTIC LEAKS, STORM
WATER AND FERTILIZER RUN OFF.
DEADLY NUTRIENTS THAT KILL THE
SEA GRASS AND FEED THE ALGAE.
THEN THERE’S ALL THE JUNK WE ALSO THROW INTO THE WATER.
ALSO THROW INTO THE WATER.
MUCH OF IT TOXIC PLASTIC THAT
OFTEN GETS MIXED IN WITH THEIR
FOOD. AND IF THEY’RE NOT BEING
AND IF THEY’RE NOT BEING
POISONED OR STARVED, THEY’RE
BEING RUN OVER WITH OUR BOATS
AND WATER CRAFTS.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE’VE LOST
63 MANATEES TO WATER CRAFT COLLISIONS.
IN A TYPICAL YEAR, THIS
ACCOUNTS FOR 20-25% OF ALL
MANATEE DEATHS.
>> AND THESE DEATHS ASSOCIATED
WITH BOATING OR UNSAFE BOATING PRACTICES AND GOING TOO FAST,
PRACTICES AND GOING TOO FAST,
NOT RESPECTING THE WAKE ZONE
ARE PREVENTABLE DEATHS.
>> MIAMI-DADE’S CHIEF BAY OFFICER IS DOING WHAT SHE CAN
OFFICER IS DOING WHAT SHE CAN
TO PROTECT THEM, LAUNCHING THE
SAVE THE MANATEE INITIATIVE TO
CRACK DOWN ON RECKLESS BOATERS
AND JET SKIERS.
>> THEY’RE EXPLAINING THAT
THIS IS A MANATEE ZONE AND
THEY’LL GET A CITATION. >> ACCORDING TO THE STATE’S
>> ACCORDING TO THE STATE’S
LAST COUNT, ROUGHLY 6300
MANATEES LIVE IN FLORIDA.
BUT WITH MORE THAN 840 ALREADY
GONE THIS YEAR, THESE DEFENSELESS GENTLE CREATURES
DEFENSELESS GENTLE CREATURES
ARE DISAPPEARING RIGHT BEFORE
OUR EYES.
>> WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE
WE TAKE A PROACTIVE STEP RIGHT
NOW, DO WHAT WE CAN TO NOT
MAKE THIS ANY WORSE AND TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE DO
REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE DO
HAVE MANATEES AROUND FOR
FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME.
>> IN 2017, THE U.S. FISH AND WILD LIFE SERVICE TOOK
WILD LIFE SERVICE TOOK
MANATEES OFF THE ENDANGERED
SPECIES LIST BECAUSE THEIR
NUMBERS SEEMED TO BE
INCREASING.
BUT SO WERE THE THREATS THESE DOCILE ANIMALS ARE FACING.
DOCILE ANIMALS ARE FACING.
NOW SCIENTISTS AND
ENVIRONMENTALISTS WANT THEM TO
BE RELISTED FROM THREATENED TO
ENDANGERED.
FOR MORE ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SAVE OUR MANATEES, CLICK ON