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Hi John,
Another gruesome death toll for manatees in Florida's polluted waters: 631 have died so far this year.
A dwindling food supply and malnutrition are pushing these iconic sea creatures to the brink. We're in court to save them.
Please help today with a gift to the Saving Life on Earth Fund.
Nearly 20% of the Atlantic population of Florida manatees died last year, shattering the record of manatee deaths.
The rate has slowed this year but remains far above average. There just isn't enough food for them.
Summer months are critical because that's when manatees can access more of their dwindling food supply. But even those that do survive the coming months may be too weakened by malnutrition to get through the cold winter.
The Center for Biological Diversity has fought for years to protect manatees, including by filing lawsuits to secure their Endangered Species Act protection and to save them from harmful algal blooms.
We went to court again in May to stop the pollution of the Indian River Lagoon — the home of half the manatees who died last year.
The effects of agriculture, septic tanks and urban runoff are dirtying the manatees' marine habitat and impeding the growth of seagrass, one of their key foods. Collisions with boats also put manatees in peril.
But there is hope.
Thanks to legal action by the Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to update the way it protects manatee habitat. It's progress, but much more needs to be done.
Saving manatees starts by giving them a safe home free of pollution, with enough food to eat.
We'll never stop fighting for these incredible animals, and we need you with us.
Please give to the Saving Life on Earth Fund today.
For the wild,
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