Florida reports record-high manatee deaths

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

FILE - A manatee comes up for aerial is it swims successful the Stranahan River, successful Fort Lauderdale, Fla., connected April 2, 2020. More than 1,000 manatees person died successful Florida truthful acold successful 2021, eclipsing a erstwhile grounds arsenic the threatened marine mammals conflict with starvation owed to polluted waters. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Posted at 7:29 PM, Nov 17, 2021

and past updated 2021-11-17 20:29:42-05

More than 1,000 manatees person died successful Florida this year, according to a tally from the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The fig is simply a crisp leap from 2020 erstwhile the authorities reported 637 manatee deaths.

The erstwhile yearly precocious was 830 manatee deaths successful 2013.

State officials accidental a survey showed 20-25% of manatee deaths are owed to collisions with watercraft. In 2021, 90 of the manatee deaths are owed to incidents involving watercraft, that authorities reports.

Hundreds of manatees person besides starved to decease due to the fact that of algae blooms and contaminants, according to The Associated Press.

Manatees are presently listed arsenic a "threatened" species. However, conservationists are asking Congress to designate the marine mammals arsenic "endangered," which would supply much protections for the animals.