John,

It's the coldest time of year. Will Florida manatees be left to freeze and starve as the seagrass they depend on for survival fails to thrive?

To save manatees from starvation, we urgently need to protect their habitat before it's too late.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is currently proposing that Florida manatees and their habitat should receive some protections, but not the strongest possible endangered species protections.1 And considering their dire situation, manatees need the strongest protections possible.

Save the manatees by urging the FWS to restore their full federal protections before the March 17 deadline.

Without protection, manatees are at risk of starvation.

The manatee population is already plummeting, so protection for them and their habitat can't come soon enough. About 20% of the manatee population died between 2021 and 2022 alone.2

This year is off to a grim start, too. At least 100 manatees have already died in 2025.3

What's causing these dramatic die-offs? Destruction of the seagrass meadows that form the manatees' main source of food is a major culprit. Pollution and runoff causes enormous algal blooms that cloud the water, shade the seagrass beds and starve them of sunlight. With no seagrass to eat, the manatees starve.4

It's clear that the strongest possible protections are needed in order for manatees to have the chance to survive and thrive.

Speak up for strong protections for manatees by adding your name now.

The Endangered Species Act is the best tool we have for the preservation of species on the brink of extinction. Strong endangered protections would provide manatees with the support they need to survive.

Critically, designating a species as endangered also protects the critical habitat in which they live. An endangered listing for the Florida manatee would also help preserve their seagrass meadows.

But we only have a few weeks to convince the FWS that Florida manatees deserve the strongest possible protection.

Add your name by the March 17 deadline to help save the manatees.

Thank you,

Lisa Frank
Executive Director

1. "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publishes Finding on Two West Indian Manatee Petitions," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 13, 2025.
2. "Manatee Mortality Statistics," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, last accessed February 13, 2025.
3. "Manatee Mortality Statistics," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, last accessed February 13, 2025.
4. Mia McCormick, "Save the Seagrass to Save Manatees," Environment America, January 17, 2024.