FWC Investigating UME In Indian River Lagoon

Edgewater, FL – Manatees in the Indian River Lagoon have been literally starving to death over the past month. In response to being alerted to the issue, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have submitted an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) request to the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events and are awaiting a formal response about the designation. A designation would provide outside confirmation about what FWC biologists are seeing. It also allows for further consultation with animal and environmental experts on cause and related research. FWC says while waiting for a confirmation notice, they will prioritize the rescue of live manatees and retrieve carcasses to collect data that will provide insight into the high level of mortality along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. An excerpt from a letter from Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy to the Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: "From the FWC, there were 403 manatee deaths in Florida between January 1, 2021 and February 26, 2021, over 30 percent of which occurred in the Indian River Lagoon.  This is in stark contrast to the 637 manatee deaths in all of 2020 and the five-year average of 578 annual deaths that occurred between 2016 and 2020. Reports indicate that many manatees may be starving due to a decline in seagrass, their primary food source." An FWC spokesperson said  that the manatees are starting to move from their winter habitats, especially where food resources are limited, and following their natural migratory patterns to their spring and summer habitats. Director at Foundation for Florida Environmental Protection Katrina Garvin Shadix is studying the collapsed ecosystem and documenting wildlife decimation in the Inidan River Lagoon. In a Facebook post, she said she could see initiating  a law suit to hold accountable those responsible for completely destroying the water quality of the Indian River Lagoon and killing our federally protected manatees.