Red tide algal blooms in Florida waters have killed hundreds of manatees in recent years, causing neurological symptoms, muscle weakness, and slow death — a welfare crisis driven partly by human nutrient pollution.
Manatees affected by red tide experience a terrifying deterioration — first losing muscular coordination, then becoming unable to surface properly for breath, finally becoming immobile in warm shallow water where they can neither escape toxins nor avoid predators. This is slow, distressing death lasting hours to days. The human contribution to red tide severity through nutrient pollution makes this a welfare harm with preventable dimensions. Each bloom death is inseparable from the agricultural and urban practices that accelerate bloom formation.