A co-owner of the Boston Celtics is donating $2 million toward protecting the Florida manatees and their habitat following two seasons of record-breaking manatee mortalities in the state.
The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is using the money to expand current projects to restore the Indian River Lagoon's overall health by replanting eight acres of vegetation at six sites in the lagoon with promising water quality, according to news release.
The Save the Manatee Club will use the money to fund a perpetual endowment, supporting projects to preserve, remediate and restore critical manatee habitat for the long and short terms, the group said. Last year, a record 1,100 manatees died largely from starvation because water pollution from agricultural, septic tank, urban runoff and other sources has diminished their main winter food source along Florida's east coast, especially the Indian River Lagoon that stretches from Cape Canaveral to the south.
Manatees are dying of starvation after ecological changes have killed off some of their food supply - and helped toxic organisms take root on the rest. "There have been so many years of change... it's going to take a lot of work to restore the ecosystem that we once had," environmental engineer and NOAA scientist Dr. Tracy Fanara tells LX News host Tabitha Lipkin.
So far this year, Florida officials have confirmed more than 500 manatee deaths, compared with more than 700 last year at this same time. Both are well above the five-year average of about 350 manatee deaths in the time period.state wildlife commissionManatees are gentle round-tailed giants, sometimes known as sea cows, and weigh as much as 1,200 pounds and live as long as 65 years or so. Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal and are closely related to elephants.
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