"They have been eating from the inside to keep alive, because there isn't food."
Mass Casualties
Florida's fragile ecosystems are crumbling under the effects of climate change. Local wildlife finds it difficult to survive.
This was especially apparent when 677 dead manatees were found along the east coast of the state between May 2021 and December 2020, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Although winter can be difficult for manatees, experts quickly discovered that starvation was the cause.
Operation Rescue
Many of the manatees that remain in the area are in similar bad shape. Manatees lose weight and become less buoyant. They also struggle to get air, due to their hunger. The Sentinel reports that officials on the ground were not familiar with handling large-scale die-offs. They saw manatees suffering from organ failure, a reduction in their weight, and even their bones being pierced by their skin as they tried to get up to breath.
Although rescue groups are working to help the survivors, each manatee needs approximately a year worth of labor-intensive rehabilitation before they can return to the wild.
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According to Seaworld Orlando's head of wildlife rehabilitation Jon Peterson, they have been eating from the inside in an attempt to survive without food. It doesn't hurt them, but I know that it can cause pain if you don't eat for at least a week.
Changes in Ecosystems
Experts told the Sentinel that the problem is due to the fact that manatees' lagoon habitat has become so polluted that it is now dominated by algae. The algae prevents light from reaching the bottom, starving the sea grass that provides food for these gentle creatures.
According to Larry Willaims, Florida's ecological director for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Sentinel, systems similar to those in Florida have been observed elsewhere in the world. They are now experiencing a steady state of murky water that is dominated by algae. Scientists believe that we are witnessing a flickering transition towards that steady state right now.
READ MORE: What is causing the greatest manatee die-off? Starvation from Florida ecosystem collapse [Orlando Sentinel]
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