The starving manatees are easy to spot. You can see their ribs. They breathe more than normal. Those in need are listed to one side.
The federal and state wildlife officials will provide food for hundreds of the animals at a key location on the state's east coast in an urgent effort to save them.
Patrick Rose is the executive director of Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit group that supports the aquatic mammal.
Scientists have found that feeding wild animals can cause more harm than good. Florida's manatees have suffered catastrophic losses over the last year. More than 1,000 people have died in the state. State wildlife officials say that 8,800 mammals remained in Florida waters in the year 2000.
A task force of state and federal officials has linked the increased deaths to the loss of sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon, a 156-mile estuary where manatees, also known as sea cows, seek warm water in winter.
The sea grass was killed off by a problem that has been going on for decades, a problem fueled largely by human waste andfertilizer. The executive director of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program said that more waste leaked into the estuary as more people moved to the region.
Dr. De Freese said that the situation was a symptom. It appears we hit a tipping point in 2011.
He said that sea grass has died off year after year and is now down by 90 percent. The problem is expected to get worse as climate change brings more storms and sea level rise.
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Mr. Rose said that the feeding would be limited and experimental. He said that the program would most likely involve produce like cabbage and lettuce, similar to what manatees are given to eat when taken into captivity for rehabilitation.
Mr. Rose hoped they would take it. There is no guarantee.
The effort has risks. Further habituating them to vessels or people could be deadly. Measures are expected to be included in the feeding program to try to prevent such accidents and to clean up any produce that is not eaten.
Wildlife feeding can disrupt migration patterns, spread disease and lead to a cascade of other consequences according to research. Over time, short-term benefits can evaporate. A study on mule deer, commissioned by Utah wildlife officials after the animals were 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 The deer that got food lingered longer in their winter range and were involved in a lot of accidents.
Humans are changing the environment that animals depend on. Dr. Messmer said the important thing was to address the root problem.
He said that this is a teachable moment. It is unfortunate that we are having too many of these teachable moments.
