Starvation
is killing off the popular Florida manatees, which were
already listed as a "threatened"
species. Relatives of their land cousins
the elephants, these so-called "sea cows" supposedly
inspired stories about mermaids. But like their mythical
counterparts, soon, these marine mammals might only live
on in our imaginations. Just last year alone,
researchers recorded 1,100 Florida manatees that had
died — more than ever before in such a short time. This
die-off is occurring as a result of pollution,
climate change, and human development, which have
wreaked havoc on the manatees' food sources, namely
seagrass. Now, a major effort to save these
marine mammals is underway. But it won't succeed without
help from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
Florida environmental
organizations have gathered up more than 63,000 lbs of
donated lettuce so far, which they've used to feed
hundreds of manatees each day. But for some individual
animals, their situations were so dire, they have now
been relocated to rehab centers. While the efforts to
feed these starving creatures are heroic and inspiring,
donated lettuce simply can't solve the problem.
Even worse, some Florida politicians are willing
to let real estate developers deplete seagrass even
further — as long as the developers pay
up. Manatees' lives can't be left up
to the whim of some corporate-friendly lawmakers in
Florida. These marine mammals MUST be protected
now. Sign the
petition to demand the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency take action to save the manatees
immediately!
