Sea Cows Death a Puzzle
Jim Waymer
Florida Today
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Brevard County, Florida (US):
As sea cows search for warm spots this winter, scientists are trying to figure out why more young manatees keep dying and how to wean the endangered species off warm-water discharge from power plants.
This year, 23 manatees died within a year of birth, or before reaching 5 feet in length. That's almost half the manatee deaths in Brevard County.Some longtime local critics of manatee zones say they suspect the two power plants near Port St. John are to blame.
The recent spike, they add, is evidence the Indian River Lagoon is reaching the limit of how many manatees it can support.
But state biologists stop short of calling the higher number of young manatee deaths a jump. They're not sure they're statistically significant, a sign of better carcass recovery or just evidence that more manatees are being born here.
Dec 07, 2005
Jim WaymerFlorida Today
__________
Brevard County, Florida (US):
As sea cows search for warm spots this winter, scientists are trying to figure out why more young manatees keep dying and how to wean the endangered species off warm-water discharge from power plants.
This year, 23 manatees died within a year of birth, or before reaching 5 feet in length. That's almost half the manatee deaths in Brevard County.Some longtime local critics of manatee zones say they suspect the two power plants near Port St. John are to blame.
The recent spike, they add, is evidence the Indian River Lagoon is reaching the limit of how many manatees it can support.
But state biologists stop short of calling the higher number of young manatee deaths a jump. They're not sure they're statistically significant, a sign of better carcass recovery or just evidence that more manatees are being born here.
Dec 07, 2005
