Manatees simply CAN NOT SURVIVE without seagrass.Not only is it their primary source of nutrition, but they also depend on it for oxygen. Seagrass also plays a critical role in our coastal communities by storing almost a fifth of the world’s ocean carbon and keeping us safe from worsening climate crisis impacts.
But when cruise ships dump toxic wastewater and churn up sand and contaminants that compromise water quality, they contribute to the unrecoverable destruction of seagrass beds.