Chapter II — Species of Special Concern 



Table 9. Known manatee mortality in the southeastern United States (excluding Puerto Rico) reported 

 through the manatee salvage and necropsy program, 1978-1998 



Year 



1978 

 1979 

 1980 

 1981 

 1982 

 1983 

 1984 

 1985 

 1986 

 1987 

 1988 

 1989 

 1990 

 1991 

 1992 

 1993 

 1994 

 1995 

 1996 

 1997 

 1998' 



1 Includes deaths due to entanglement and ingestion of marine debris, drowning in shrimp nets, poaching, vandalism, etc. 



2 Includes deaths due to cold stress, other natural causes, and undetermined causes. 



3 Includes 38 deaths attributed to a spring red-tide event in southwestern Florida. 



4 Includes 149 deaths attributed to a spring red-tide event in southwestern Florida. 



5 Data for 1998 are prehminary. 



Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 



perinatal deaths (i.e., the death of newborn animals) 

 is unknown. Although there are many possible 

 factors, one might be a northward shift in the winter 

 distribution of the population over the past 20 years. 



Increasing manatee mortality and the high propor- 

 tion of human-related deaths have been a major source 

 of concern with regard to the long-term survival of 

 Florida manatees. However, destruction and alter- 

 ation of essential manatee habitat caused by coastal 



development may be a greater threat. Florida's 

 human population, increasing at a rate of about 1 ,000 

 people per day for more than a decade, has spurred 

 widespread development that has degraded many 

 aquatic habitats. Among other things, sea grass beds 

 that provide feeding areas for manatees have declined 

 substantially in most areas of the state. Manatee 

 protection therefore has focused on protecting essen- 

 tial manatee habitats as well as reducing direct causes 

 of human-related manatee mortality and disuirbance. 



93 



