Manatees Deaths

The beloved sea cows still face many threats, but deaths this year were not as high as in 2021 and 2022, when conservation groups say a record die-off claimed 20 percent of the population.

One of the region's few long-term clinics for injured manatees is open again after suffering $2.5 million in damages from last year's hurricanes. It will be named after renowned manatee researcher James "Buddy" Powell.

For the first time since 1992, Florida Fish and Wildlife is reviewing manatee protections in different parts of Indian River County's waterways.

A brief contends the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — not the Department of Environmental Protection — is constitutionally responsible for wildlife-related issues.

So far in 2025, 477 manatees have died in Florida: more than in either 2024 or 2023, according to state data.

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