WASTING AWAY

[Zorro]

Rampant pollution caused manatees to starve. Florida waters are getting worse.

Perched on a spit of land, two biologists peered into slate blue water. Below them, manatees floated like clouds, raising whiskery snouts to let out long, loud breaths.

The Indian River Lagoon looked like an ideal symbol of Florida. But by that afternoon in late January 2021, the scientists knew they stood at the edge of catastrophe.

For decades, the beloved animals had survived winter by retreating to this pocket of the Lagoon near Cocoa, where discharges from a power plant kept them warm. They grazed on seagrass that swayed in gentle currents.

Quietly, though, their sanctuary changed. The seagrass disappeared. Barrens of sand stretched for miles, like an underwater desert.

Dozens of dead manatees washed up in Brevard County, and state scientists scrambled to figure out why. The biologists scanned the rippling water. It didn't take much time to find another carcass.

https://project.tampabay.com/investigations/wasting-away/florida-manatees-pollution-water-lagoon-starvation-seagrass/

[CrispyQ]

1. So heartbreaking I can hardly stand to read it but we can't turn away from the affect of our actions. -nt

[Zorro]

2. Those photos of dead manatees are horrific

It's an important story and their reporting is a big reason why I subscribe to this paper.