SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — The ongoing die-off of Florida's starving manatees undoubtedly has people concerned for the beloved animals, though some may be doing more harm than good.
A police department on the state's east coast posted a warning not to feed the manatees. Number one, the Satellite Beach Police Department said on Facebook, feeding manatees is illegal by state and federal law.
And two, the type of plant some people are using to feed the animals, water hyacinth, is considered extremely invasive.
The department said water hyacinth is being dumped in the DeSoto Park canal. It's reportedly happening amid ongoing efforts between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigating the die-off of an increasing number of manatees, largely due to the lack of a food source.
According to FWC, water hyacinth's growth rate is aggressive. A population of the plants, which sit on the surface of the water, can double in size in as little as two weeks.
Because they produce a dense canopy on the water's surface, FWC says the exotic plant shades out native submersed plant species — sources of food for manatee. They also lower concentrations of dissolved oxygen, which can kill off plants and damage fish populations.
Researchers have said the ongoing unusual mortality event related to the manatees is attributed to starvation "due to the lack of forage in the Indian River Lagoon. Historically, the lagoon has provided essential habitat to manatees year-round and during the colder winter months many manatees depend on warm water refuges in this area."
In an attempt to keep more manatees alive and stabilize their population, the FWC and FWS have been dropping lettuce — romaine and butter leaf are their favorite — as part of an approved, scientific effort.
From the start of the year through Feb. 4, FWC reports there have been 164 recorded manatee deaths compared to 208 during the same period last year. In the two years prior to 2021, there were fewer than 100 deaths each.