The manatees are starving
Florida’s beloved “sea cows” shouldn’t have to eat lettuce. Yet here we are.
By Benji Jones@BenjiSJones Feb 8, 2022, 12:40pm EST
Down to Earth
The biodiversity crisis, explained
Heads of romaine lettuce might seem like empty calories for starving “sea cows” that weigh 1,000 pounds. But for Florida’s manatees, they’re just what the vet ordered.
In parts of eastern Florida, seagrass — the primary food source for these hulking marine mammals — is disappearing. So for the first time in history, state officials have started feeding manatees huge quantities of leafy greens. A single manatee can crunch its way through about 100 pounds of lettuce in a single day.
Last year, Florida lost a record 1,100 manatees, or more than 12 percent of its total population. And more than 130 manatees have died already in 2022, according to the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club, which is far above average for this time of year. The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the vulnerable West Indian manatee.
https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/22917307/florida-manatees-algae-seagrass-indian-river-lagoon
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Those poor, beautiful creatures. 
