John,

Florida manatees are dying at a record pace.

881 have died so far in 2021 — already more than twice as many deaths as in all of 2020.

These gentle, curious mammals are starving to death and swimming through some of the worst pollution they've ever known. Meanwhile boat strikes remain a constant threat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun a review to determine what protections manatees need under the Endangered Species Act. Manatees are now listed as "threatened," but it's clear they urgently need the full power of the Act.

The manatee die-off has already taken more than 10% of their population — and it isn't stopping.

Pollution from fertilizers, pesticides and human waste is poisoning the water they live in and depleting the seagrass they eat.

And boats keep plowing into them, cutting them up with propellers and killing them through blunt-force trauma at staggering rates.

We can't imagine a world without this iconic species. Please tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that manatees should be fully protected under the Endangered Species Act to guarantee their survival.