TAMPA, Fla. — In Florida and across the world, Sept. 7 marks International Manatee Day. It’s a day to celebrate the beloved species and also advocate for its survival.
Tiare Fridrich’s job puts her in close contact with manatees.
Originally from New York, she remembers the moment she fell in love with Florida’s state marine mammal.
“When I was doing my Masters, and we were out on a boat for my courses, and I saw one for the first time, I fell in love instantly,” she remembered.
As a manatee biologist with the Save the Manatee Club, she gets to make a difference in the battle to save a species that’s currently under threat.
“Every day, I feel like I can really make a difference,” she said. “We are actively helping manatees with the work that we do.”
Right now, the work is almost non-stop for Fridrich and many others who work on manatee conservation and projects that improve their aquatic habitats.
Last year, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manatee mortality data, a record 1,101 manatees were verified dead across Florida.
So far this year, the death toll is 671. Of those deaths, according to the FWC records, 130 have died naturally, and 53 from watercraft strikes. Close to 400 of the deaths were not necropsied.
RECOMMENDED:
- Swimming with manatees: Exclusive look at the lengths a researcher will go to save a species
- FWC says new program uncovered manatees are desperate for food
- Manatees in Florida chomp through 25 tons of lettuce thanks to feeding program
Even though the 2022 death toll is not on pace to break the 2021 total (929 had died at this point last year), Fridrich is still concerned.
“If we continue to let things go the direction they’re going, it might be too late, and we might not be able to shift back,” she said.
In 2021, many manatees starved to death because of seagrass losses in the Indian River Lagoon along Florida’s east coast.
The FWC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) responded to the “unusual mortality event” with a “limited, small-scale feeding trial,” which provided lettuce to some of the hungry manatees on a temporary basis.
Fridrich and her organization believe the feeding trial helped and would support another if starvation remains an issue.
“Feeding these animals gives them an opportunity to get the nutrients they need in the wild and not have to be rescued,” Fridrich said. “We suspect that there are a decent number of animals that didn’t need to be rescued because they had decent access to food at the feeding site.”
She’d also like to see more projects statewide to stop or mitigate the nutrient pollution that is causing algae blooms and killing seagrasses.
“The loss of seagrass is a human-caused problem. This is happening because of our nutrient pollution, and it’s not fair that the manatees have to suffer because of what we are choosing to do,” she said.
But Fridrich remains hopeful. The unusual mortality event has caused different groups to come together with a common goal, she said.
“We’re on the right path, but I don’t want people to think that we can stop now because we’ve made it, because we haven’t. We’re just getting started, and there’s still a lot that we need to do,” Fridrich said.
She and the Save the Manatee Club hope boaters will also practice better habits to prevent potentially-fatal strikes. They and others should also keep an eye out for injured manatees.
According to the club, if you spot a sick, injured, or orphaned manatee or a manatee that is being harassed, you should immediately report it to the FWC by calling 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or to a local wildlife agency/organization if the sighting is outside of Florida.
Learn more about how you can help at this link.
