According to state officials, Florida's manatee population is dying off at a historic clip. The cause? Starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds.
The death toll has now reached 841 since the first of the year, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. The previous record was 830 in 2013 due to a toxic red tide outbreak.
Brevard has been hit the hardest, with 312 deaths reported by TCPalm.
Once an endangered species, the manatee's classification was changed to "threatened" four years ago. At least 63 manatees were killed by boat strikes in 2021.
"Unprecedented manatee mortality due to starvation was documented on the Atlantic coast this past winter and spring," read the report from Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute on Friday.
"Most deaths occurred during the colder months when manatees migrated to and through the Indian River Lagoon, where the majority of seagrass has died off."
About 6,300 manatees are believed to live in the waters of Florida, according to the federal government.
