Manatees Deaths

Florida had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, before the number dropped to 555 in 2023 and 565 in 2024, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data.

Brevard and Lee are also in the top 10 for number of registered boats in Florida. Lee ranks third with 48,139 and Brevard is seventh with 35,001.

The lawsuit is targeting recent cuts in staff at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, where reports have surfaced of manatees being harassed.

A key part of U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza’s injunction calls for the state to seek what is known as an “incidental take” permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Construction on the complex should begin in the near future, with a tentative date of spring 2026, contingent on city permits.

A federal judge ordered a series of steps aimed at protecting manatees in the northern Indian River Lagoon, including temporarily preventing new septic tanks in the area.

A U.S. district judge last month ruled that the state has violated the Endangered Species Act as manatees face threats in the Indian River Lagoon

Nearly 2,000 manatees died in the state in 2021 and 2022, a two-year record. Widespread water quality problems and seagrass losses left the sea cows starving.

The judge said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection needs to seek what is known as an “incidental take permit” from federal wildlife officials to help minimize the effects of discharges on manatees.

Rampant pollution caused manatees to starve. Florida waters are getting worse.

Florida's manatees will likely remain a threatened species. Federal environmental regulators won't recommended increasing their protections as an endangered species.

A report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission shows Lee, Brevard and Citrus counties lead the state in manatee deaths through Feb. 14.