Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Since the beginning of the year, nearly a thousand Florida manatees have died , mostly due to lack of food .
Wildlife authorities say that 984 deaths recorded so far from 2021 far exceed the figure of 483 from the previous year.
These deaths have occurred mostly due to the starvation of the animals due to the lack of sea grasses near their places of refuge in the Laguna del Río Indio, although it is in force investigation of the facts.
Affectionately nicknamed “sea cows”, manatees weigh about 450 kilograms. Their life is strongly affected when the waters they inhabit contain fertilizers, toxic chemicals or microplastics, as they alter the balance and promote harmful algal blooms, which kill the marine grasses that manatees eat.
In this way, the food sources of these animals have been reduced to such a degree that they are insufficient for everyone, so manatees do not eat or consume plants that do not nourish them as they should . Manatee should consume more food when the weather is colder, as it helps them stay warm.
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