Mermaids in Peril
Everything seemed to be going in the right direction for the West Indian manatee. All the hard work over several decades of protection was paying off. The public were willing partners with state and federal agencies charged with the recovery and conservation of the one-ton sirenian. Florida even designated it the state marine mammal. A growing awareness of the impact of boats (literally) on this slow-moving sea cow, had resulted in manatee protection zones on both our intracoastal and inland waterways, and rehabilitation facilities, education centers, and school programs had sprung up across the state. In the fall of 2017, the U.S. Fish and WiIdlife Service felt confident enough to downlist the manatee from endangered to threatened status. The power of shared concern and collective action had paid off.
In a voyage to the Caribbean in 1493, Christopher Columbus made an entry in his journal that he had espied ‘three mermaids’ near his ship. Such early accounts by seafarers were most likely of manatees, earning them the scientific name Sirenia,in reference to Greek myths of beautiful mermaids luring sailors to their doom, through the sweetness of their song. These accounts may also say something about Christopher Columbus’ eyesight, or the strange yearnings that can befall a ship’s crew that have been at sea for months, or even years! Manatees evoke many positive emotions and feelings; graceful, gentle, curious, harmless, and beautiful, to name a few. In my opinion, the slow-moving sea cows epitomize ‘chill.’ Their message for humankind seems to remind us all to take it easy.
Sadly, the recovering manatee population may be in peril once again. During the first four months of 2021, Florida recorded 712 manatee deaths, with many occurring in the Indian River Lagoon. Over the same time period from 2016 to 2020, the statewide average was 248 manatee deaths, a year in comparison. A leading suspect is starvation for this marine herbivore, due to the dramatic loss of seagrass, an important food source. In recent years, there has been a link to an increase in harmful algal blooms. Nutrient overloading in our coastal waters is diminishing, having devastating effects throughout the entire food chain.
You can continue to do your part by reporting sightings of distressed or dead manatees to FWC’s manatee stranding hotline1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922) or by contacting their partners including Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (https://www.fau.edu/hboi/marine_mammals/) and Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute (https://hswri.org/). For updates on the UME you can visit FWC’s website:https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/rescue-mortality-response/. You may also want to consider contributing to manatee conservation by buying a ‘Save the Manatee’ specialty license plate.
ABOUT GREG
Before coming to FAU’s Harbor Branch, Greg earned both his bachelor’s degree and his doctorate degree from University College Dublin in Ireland, researching badgers, a small mammal related to weasels, minks and otters. So, how did he end up in Florida researching whales thousands of miles away? Once Greg graduated with his doctorate degree, he moved to California in search of jobs. After facing several rejections, one person at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in San Diego said he had a small project on belugas no one was working on. He was shocked at such a unique opportunity to work with marine mammals. “I pounced on that,” he says. “And the rest, as they say, is history.”
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Written and photography by Greg O’Corry-Crowe