Florida manatees experienced unprecedented die-offs in 2021-2022 due to seagrass loss from algal blooms. Understanding this welfare emergency reveals the intersection of pollution and wildlife suffering.
The 2021 Florida manatee die-off was a massive welfare crisis that revealed the vulnerability of recovering wildlife populations to pollution-driven habitat loss. Manatees that starved showed extreme emaciation before death. Emergency feeding programmes provided short-term relief but could not address the underlying seagrass collapse. Watercraft injuries cause chronic pain and disability for surviving animals. The dependence of manatees on power plant warm water outflows creates another vulnerability as plants close. Protecting clean, warm coastal waters is essential for manatee welfare.