The manatees and boaters went out to play and we had a record seventy boat strikes recorded during the season as a result. She was starving, perhaps due to plastic obstructions in her bowel. She was there to nurse Amber when she arrived at Sea World. Amber's mother Ann had abandoned her at Blue Spring. I have enjoyed sharing the Blue Spring data with you again this year, and I hope you have enjoyed learning more about the manatees and the perils they face in the world they share with us humans.
More humans mean less habitat for manatees and other wildlife.
So, in addition to better law enforcement, we also need better growth management regulation. Increasing human population impacts the manatees in many different ways, and one of the most significant is damage to the seagrasses, the primary food of the manatees. And pollution continues to increase in some areas, from pesticides and herbicides, urban run-off, and septic tanks. That causes problems for seagrasses too. After all, it is every bit as important to have enough habitat for manatees.