Florida Manatees Denied 'Endangered' Status Amid Starvation Crisis

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Water pollution and harmful algae destroy vital seagrass meadows, creating severe food shortages for manatee populations

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains Florida manatees' "threatened" status despite more than 2,000 manatees dying from food scarcity in recent years.

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Center for Biological Diversity joined forces with Harvard Law School's Animal Law & Policy Clinic to advocate for stronger manatee protections.

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Puerto Rico's Antillean manatees received "endangered" classification while Florida populations remain under threatened status.

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Save the Manatee Club criticizes Wildlife Service for overlooking crucial scientific evidence in their decision-making process.

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Manatees' 2017 status change from endangered to threatened faces scrutiny following recent mass casualties.

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Ongoing habitat restoration efforts struggle against water quality issues affecting seagrass ecosystems.

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Declining manatee numbers signal broader environmental challenges impacting marine ecosystem health.

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Harvard's Animal Law & Policy Clinic continues advocacy efforts for protecting all West Indian manatee populations.

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Conservation decision sparks debate over species protection standards amid clear survival threats.

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[{"selector":"#anim-f9b93b29-9937-44cc-83ba-1b368feccdb1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e94a3ec3-bab8-4ef8-88ea-73640825f21d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c61dea7-8196-4ff5-b4bb-8b395a8f1fa7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-87c4fea2-a536-4766-b22d-10b3ba39d75c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0cb6449c-ccfb-4f9b-a869-efab5c00d06e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.23810%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Helmeted Honeyeater Numbers Triple to 250 in Victoria Learn more