A record number of manatees are dying in Florida, forcing officials to take “unprecedented” action to slow the rate of deaths.
Florida reported 1,017 deaths this year, about 15 per cent of the state's total manatee population. That number far surpasses the 637 recorded in 2020 and is well above the previous record of 830 set in 2013.
Manatees have long struggled to coexist with humans.
State officials and environmental groups say polluted water run-off from agriculture, sewage and other man-made developments has caused algae blooms in estuaries, choking off the seagrass upon which manatees rely.
Climate change is worsening the problem.
“Having lost hundreds of manatees to starvation — that's never happened before,” said Pat Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club.
Having lost hundreds of manatees to starvation - that's never happened before
Pat Rose,
executive director of the Save the Manatee Club
The emergency has forced officials to take drastic measures.
The US Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that federal officials will conduct a feeding trial to curb the die-off, Reuters first reported. The move is highly unusual in conservation as the animals could become dependent on humans for food.
“The idea behind this experimental supplemental feeding … is that you can give them just enough more food that they can get them through this winter time. The longer this is delayed, the less likely it can be successful,” said Mr Rose.
The trial would involve lettuce, cabbage and other greens delivered in a controlled manner, Mr Rose said.
Mr Rose warned against civilians feeding the manatees, saying that doing so remains illegal.
Authorities are expecting another bad year for manatees as they gather in Florida's warm waters for the winter.
Sea & Shoreline, an aquatics restoration firm, announced plans to harvest thousands of kilograms of seagrass to help feed the manatees.
The beloved sea mammals eat about 10-15 per cent of their body weight (up to 68kg) in seagrass daily, the firm said.
“Our seagrass collection efforts will help feed the rescued manatees and transition them better into the wild where they will need to forage for seagrass,” said Carter Henne, president of Sea & Shoreline.
Manatees were classified as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act in 1967, but were downgraded to “threatened” in 2017. Officials estimate there are between 7,000 and 8,000 manatees in Florida.
Agencies contributed to this report
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
