- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (UPI)
- Florida wildlife officials are tentatively blaming the state's warm
winter
weather for 16 deaths of manatees from boats in January -- the highest
number for one month at least since the species became endangered.
-
- They said the weather dispersed the manatees that
normally
seek warm water spots and brought out more boaters. The previous high was
14 in April 2000.
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- Biologists said temperatures averaged 10 degrees above
normal for most of the month. Manatees that normally gather around warm
water sites near power plants and springs, were able to spread out
more.
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- "We had a brief cold snap at the end of the year
and they began their aggregation at their normal warm-water site, and then
they dispersed. That's what is different," said Elsa Haubold of the
Florida Marine Research Institute.
-
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
is urging boaters to reduce speeds even in areas that aren't posted for
speeds.
-
- "We want to inform the boating community that their
diligence, maybe not just around the power plants, might help reduce the
continuation of this high level of mortality," said Kipp Frolich of
the commission.
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- A total of 53 manatees died last month -- 21 from natural
causes and 16 from unknown causes.
-
- The dispute over manatee protection between boaters and
environmentalists has continued for years and with the increased number
of deaths it's expected to heat up.
-
- Recreational boating groups are fighting state and
federal
plans for more slow-speed and no-entry zones. They argue that increasing
deaths are the result of more manatees in the water.
-
- Last year, the annual aerial survey came up with 2,276
manatees, several hundred more than previous population efforts.
-
- Biologists said the high count was most likely caused
by perfect counting conditions -- a cold snap and a clear day.
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- This year's count -- scheduled for January -- has been
delayed because of the dispersal of the animals and the likelihood it will
be artificially low.
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- "We hope that cooler weather will drive them down
to warm water springs or power plants where they like to hang out. There
is also the worry that a very cold snap might maroon them, that's happened
in the past," the commission's Henry Cabbage said Tuesday.
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- Copyright © 2002 United Press International
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