Florida’s manatees have rebounded to “record-breaking winter numbers,” reports Fox News:
After years of dwindling numbers for Florida manatees, wildlife officials say numbers are bouncing back thanks to continued efforts by the state.
“Florida’s manatee population continues to strengthen because of our record investments in manatee protection programs and water quality improvements,” said Governor Ron DeSantis during a news conference at Blue Springs State Park in Orange City. “I am grateful for FWC for their proactive rescue and rehabilitation efforts.”
In 2021, FWC officials reported a loss of around 1100 manatees. The following year, another 800 reportedly died.
In January, Blue Spring State Park saw a record 932 manatees seeking warm waters in the spring, beating their previous record on New Year’s Day of 736 manatees. A record number of manatees also sought warmth at Tampa’s TECO Manatee Viewing Center this winter, with around 1100 seen bathing in the warm waters this winter.
During his address, Governor DeSantis proudly touted that 2023 marked Florida’s lowest manatee mortality rate since 2017.
Manatees are herbivores who maintain diets of mostly seagrass and other aquatic plants.
Environmental experts say the lush food sources Florida manatees were used to grazing on were starting to disappear, and officials worried that the famed sea cows wouldn’t be far behind…
In recent years, Governor DeSantis has approved more than $50 million for manatee protection, expanding and enhancing manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts and providing habitat restoration for areas where manatees are highly concentrated.
Seagrass, which had become scarce, is growing in more areas of the Florida coast, such as Mosquito Lagoon, thanks to a seagrass nursery project. “The recovery of seagrass, the manatees’ favorite food, in Mosquito Lagoon means that an emergency hand-feeding program that has kept many of the starving aquatic animals alive over the last two winters can be discontinued, at least temporarily,” reports The Guardian.
Sea turtles are also proliferating in Florida, with sea turtle nests tripling.
Fish species are rebounding off the coast of California due to their young finding a sanctuary in abandoned oil rigs.
A baby beaver was recently born in London, the first beaver birth there in 400 years. Recently, carnivorous plants were reintroduced to English wetlands.
Scientists recently developed genetically-modified bananas to keep the principal variety of banana from being wiped out by a dangerous blight. They also engineered bionic silkworms that spin fibers six times stronger than Kevlar.
Researchers discovered that a plant virus could be used to save crops from root-eating pests. A mutant tomato could save harvests around the world. Farmers have found they can increase crop yields by using electrical stimulation on their crops.
