John,

Florida manatees are in crisis, with many starving to death due to water pollution killing the seagrass they rely on to survive.

It's gotten so bad for these malnourished manatees that the Fish and Wildlife Service just announced that they may go back on the endangered species list.1

That's good news for the manatees, but these new protections won't go into effect until next year at the earliest -- and with the coldest months of the year approaching, manatees are on the verge of another mass starvation event.

To help save manatees, we need urgent action to restore their habitat, prevent boat collisions, and stop the water pollution causing the manatees' seagrass famine. Will you make a donation to help save starving Florida manatees?

Winter is a wonderful time of year in Florida for human beings looking to escape cold weather. But in recent years, wintertime has been brutal for manatees.

Nearly 2,000 manatees died in 2021 and 2022 -- a staggering 20% of the entire manatee population -- many as a result of starvation.2

Seagrass, the manatee's main food source, is being wiped out by toxic algae blooms fueled by leaking septic systems, fertilizer runoff, wastewater treatment plant discharges, and other pollution. Other manatees are being killed by speeding boats crashing into them.

Wildlife officials have tried to keep the manatees alive by hand-feeding them in the wild. But that's not a long-term solution.3

The latest news is that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is on the verge of relisting the manatee as an endangered species. While it's tragic to see these gentle giants in such danger, the increased protection of the manatee is long overdue.

We need action at the state, local and national levels to save the manatees from boat collisions and starvation. But we're relying on your support to help push for these protections while we continue all of our other campaigns, including tackling climate change and saving the bees.

Manatees desperately need our help. Will you make a donation to help starving manatees survive the winter and give them the protections they need to fully recover?

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. Max Chesnes, "Will Florida manatees be listed as an endangered species again? Feds to review data.," Tampa Bay Times, October 11, 2023.
2. Amy Green, "Fish and Wildlife Service to Consider Restoring Manatee's Endangered Status," Inside Climate News, October 11, 2023.
3. Catrin Einhorn, "Manatees, Facing a Crisis, Will Get a Bit of Help: Extra Feeding," The New York Times, December 7, 2021.

Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. Environment Colorado may transfer up to $50 per dues-paying member per year into the Environment Colorado Small Donor Committee.