A Christmas Eve Memorial for Florida Manatees

A record number of manatees have died this year, more than a thousand, and conservation groups warn hundreds more will die from starvation and illness, the result of Florida’s toxic sewage and polluted waters.

At a memorial service today in Port St. John, participants are encouraged to wear black as they kayak or paddleboard near a Florida Power and Light plant, where an experimental feeding site will be set up to help feed the slow-moving manatees that used to graze on seagrass.

Katrina Shadix, executive director of the group Bear Warriors United, said after a massive loss of habitat, she wished officials had moved faster to approve a federal supplemental feeding program.

“The starvation deaths never stopped for the manatees,” Shadix observed. “They decreased, and that’s because two-thirds of the population migrated out. But for the one-third that call the Northern Indian River Lagoon home all year round, they have had no food. So, they’ve continued to starve, they’ve continued to be pulled lifeless from the river.”

a

Federal and state officials have launched a temporary field response station in Brevard County, adding small amounts of lettuce to the water. Still, the few animals spotted this week were not seen eating the leafy greens, according to a Florida Wildlife Commission spokesperson.

The memorial service starts at noon at the Port St. John Boat Ramp.

Shadix commended the work of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife officials. She pointed out they are often put in the position of having to clean up after what she calls the “failed policies” of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

“The algal blooms killed off the seagrass, which caused the manatees to starve,” Shadix explained. “If we want to get back down to it, it’s all about development and the DEP’s lack of regulation of the sewage that goes into the Indian River Lagoon.”

Shadix filed a 60-day letter of intent to sue the DEP over the pollution. She believes state officials began the feeding program because of the legal pressure her group is exerting, citing a possible violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Other groups, including EarthJustice and Save the Manatee Club, have announced their intent to sue the federal Environmental Protection Agency for failing to protect the threatened species.

The post A Christmas Eve Memorial for Florida Manatees appeared first on Sunshine Slate.



source https://www.sunshineslate.com/business/environment/a-christmas-eve-memorial-for-florida-manatees/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garden Offices | The Ultimate Work from Home Solution for 2021

Image
The Pros and Cons of Working from Home Working from home was not so long ago considered a perk of the job, however, the much-longed-for 30-second commute, for many of us, has finally become a realisation. Prior to the global pandemic, we would have spent 492 days of our lives commuting to and from work and inevitably, Covid-19 has brought about a catalyst of change. Businesses are now seeing the benefits of reducing costs by giving up office spaces, and with commuting now significantly reduced, one of the biggest winners out of this situation is the environment. With this in mind, there’s no doubt that the “new normal” of home working is, quite clearly, here to stay. The general consensus is that working from home is wholly positive and can provide a better work-life balance. Whilst this is true, there is evidence to suggest that this can be quite the opposite, with staff working later than usual as they battle to “switch-off” when their working day is over. So, what’s the solutio
Read more

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Roof Gutters

Image
The rainy season is already here and along with a hot cup of tea and sizzling yummy snacks in your dish, you should also plan to upgrade your rain roof gutters. Unlike earlier, the task is easy, you can take the help of gutter installation services or gutter repair services in your locality or many such services are available online also. You should have been upgrading your Rain Roof gutters before the arrival of monsoon so as to enjoy the rains without worry. If you think that you don’t need any gutter repair services, let us give you the 7 reasons that prove you wrong. Why Do You Need a Gutter system? According to leading siding and windows contractors in USA, if you want gutter systems? So that it will help lessen water and dampness damage to our homes. But why? Won’t that water just move off my roof structure? Problem solved, correct? Wrong — that’s part associated with the problem: Modern homes are created to preserve or “trap” vitality. That’s good. Although, in the method,
Read more

Magical And Unforgettable 1st Anniversary Gift Ideas

Image
Life is too short to be happy and too long, to be sad. In all these difficulties and hurricanes, we try to steal some happy moments. There are some special dates in our life, which forces us to be happy. And the memory of those happy days, make us smile in every difficult situation. Today, we are talking about one of the most important days of our life. We are talking about the anniversary, and its 1 st anniversary. You know, 1 st thing is always special for us. So today, I will give you some ideas for the 1 st -anniversary gift. You both will cherish the memory of the 1 st -anniversary gift your whole life. And you know, these gifts you can order online, and also get from the nearby markets. Anniversary bouquet I know, you must be thinking, what’s new in it. Everyone gives bouquets, and how can we cherish it? So don’t take too much stress, and read carefully. Bloomsvilla has a mesmerizing collection of anniversary bouquets. So order your better half favorite flower bouquet. I mea
Read more