Manatee deaths in South Florida baffling
By DAVID FLESHLER
Sun-Sentinel
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Six manatees were killed by watercraft in Palm Beach County in 2008, a figure that ties the county record and mystifies conservation officials who had put more police on the water to protect the endangered mammals.
The county's total falls well below the death toll elsewhere, such as that in state leader Lee County, which had 14 deaths. But it follows two years in which no manatees were killed in Palm Beach County and is only the third time the number has been that high.
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No one knows how many manatees live in Florida, but aerial surveys generally count about 3,000.
Enormous resources have been devoted to protecting them, as scientists research red tide, police patrol for speeding boats and government agencies protect coastal habitats. Tripp said the 30-year protection effort preserves many of the environmental assets that originally drew people to Florida.
"When you protect manatees, you protect seagrass flats," Tripp said. "When you protect manatees, you protect water quality. When you protect manatees, you protect springs. When you protect manatees, you protect all of coastal Florida."
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