Florida’s Cold Snap Threatens Manatees, Sea Turtles, and Marine Life

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Half a dozen places in Florida dropped as cold as Anchorage, Alaska, with temperatures falling to 40 degrees.

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Shallow waters along Florida's coast experience temperature drops of 2 degrees daily during cold snaps, endangering marine life.

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Manatees face fatal "cold stress" when exposed to waters below 60 degrees, disrupting their bodily functions and digestion.

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Sea turtles become victims of "cold-stunning" in waters under 50 degrees, leaving them defenseless against predators and boat strikes.

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Juvenile sea turtles remain particularly vulnerable with limited body mass to maintain warmth during extreme temperature drops.

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Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission coordinates with trained volunteers to rescue distressed marine animals.

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Power plant warm-water discharge zones become crucial survival spots for manatees seeking refuge from deadly cold.

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Rescued sea turtles receive specialized care at animal hospitals until water temperatures return to safe levels.

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Wildlife officials establish "no entry zones" near power plants to protect huddling manatees from boat traffic.

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The public must contact FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 upon spotting struggling marine life.

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[{"selector":"#anim-b80bdc10-ce0e-421a-9df0-ae3bf4886ea5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-725290be-0735-4b9e-a204-e4f462bbe99a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-74b0e803-1e2e-4ed9-87ac-0941cd79944b","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-0749c8ec-0afc-4734-8db0-2602bf92b8fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-49daddcf-9fc5-43e9-b440-77d2a5f750bd","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"}] Florida Manatees Denied 'Endangered' Status Amid Starvation Crisis Learn more