The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say there have been more manatee deaths so far this year than all of last year. A total of 540 manatees have died compared to 538 in 2017. Experts blame a cold snap at the beginning of the year and the toxic red tide algae in the Gulf of Mexico for the fatalities. Red tide – a natural occurrence due to the presence of nutrients in the water and an organism called a dinoflagellate – is blamed for at least 97 manatee deaths and that number is expected to rise. So far this year 79 manatees have died due to boat injuries. The manatee is native to Florida and is considered a threatened species. The population is estimated at about 6,000.
