Florida manatees still not eating romaine lettuce in feeding trial

2021-12-30 03:17:51 By : Ms. Pommy Cui

Three weeks after wildlife officials approved an unprecedented feeding trial for wild manatees, the sea cows remain largely uninterested in the human-offered romaine lettuce. 

That's mainly because a streak of warmer weather has kept the marine foragers wandering temperate areas of the Indian River Lagoon, and they have not yet gathered in large numbers at the designated Brevard County feeding site, state wildlife officials said Wednesday. 

Like humans, manatees are warm-blooded creatures.

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When water temperatures dip below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the gentle giants tend to seek out warmer water. That includes natural areas, such as Blue Spring State Park, or unnatural outputs from power plants — including the one selected for the feeding trial. 

"With the warm weather continuing over the past week, our team at the Temporary Field Response Station is not yet seeing a lot of manatees onsite," the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote in an update, referring to the Florida Power & Light Cape Canaveral Clean Energy Center bordering the lagoon. 

Air temperatures at Cape Canaveral Thursday were forecast at a high of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 62 degrees. FWC predicts more manatees could gather when colder weather eventually arrives, according to the agency. 

Manatee response teams have set up barriers to cordon the temporary feeding site from the rest of the lagoon. Floating squares made of PVC pipe are stuffed with leafy greens, much like a livestock hay feeder you'd see on a farm for horses or goats. 

These so-called corrals are meant to prevent remnant lettuce scraps from floating into the estuary and potentially dirtying the water. They also make for an easier clean-up, according to FWC. 

"For now, staff continue to deploy floating PVC pipe corrals each day in the off-chance manatees visit the area and take an interest in the lettuce offered," the agency wrote on a webpage dedicated to updates on response efforts. 

"While the manatees have been uninterested so far, this may change when the weather and waters get colder." 

When first workshopping the feeding operation in August, manatee experts with FWC and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service raised concerns about leftover food scraps possibly further polluting the ecosystem, according to notes from a private Aug. 2 meeting obtained by TCPalm. 

"The addition of nutrients from unrecovered supplemental food as well as the effect of the total biomass of supplemental food will be additive to the system," experts noted during the meeting. "Proven methods for removing uneaten food do not exist."

Earlier this month, FWC announced romaine lettuce was the experimental food-of-choice. The produce is purchased from farmers who use U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines suitable for human consumption, according to the wildlife agency. 

At least 550 pounds of romaine lettuce so far were purchased from Belle-Glade based TKM Farms for $250, spokesperson Carli Segelson told TCPalm Dec. 15. When asked for an updated amount Wednesday, an FWC spokesperson could not immediately provide a figure.

At least 1,075 manatees have died through Dec. 17, according to FWC data. That surpasses the previous record of 830 deaths set in 2013. 

Roughly 32% of all manatee deaths this year — or 351 — were recorded in Brevard County's stretch of the 156-mile-long lagoon. Biologists and environmental groups point to decades of seagrass loss — a result of human-caused pollution — as a catalyst for the starvation and malnutrition ravaging the east coast's population. 

While state officials have had a busy year collecting and researching the animals' carcasses, they also have their hands full rescuing manatees in need. 

In Homestead last week, 11 manatees were trapped behind a flood gate, according to FWC. Responders worked with state water managers to open the gate and determined no animals needed rehabilitation. 

An adult male manatee, who was underweight, was also rescued last week in Palm Beach County and brought to SeaWorld in Orlando for care, according to FWC. 

Here are the latest manatee response numbers from FWC: 

Report sick, injured, dead manatees: Contact FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline by calling toll-free at 888-404-3922 (FWCC), emailing or texting Tip@MyFWC.com or using VHF Channel 16 on your boat.

Max Chesnes is a TCPalm environment reporter focusing on issues facing the Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie River and Lake Okeechobee. You can keep up with Max on Twitter @MaxChesnes, email him at max.chesnes@tcpalm.com and give him a call at 772-978-2224.