Published: February 11, 2010
Op-Ed Contributor
Florida's Manatees & Sea Turtles Freezing To Death
By Robert Paul Reyes
"Manatees, sea turtles and fish in the Sunshine State are dying in record numbers because of the unusually long cold snap.
With temperature in central Florida dipping down again this week, conservationists are bracing for more animal and plant deaths due to unusually long winter cold snaps that have resulted in record wildlife losses.
Manatees have been among the hardest hit, with over 200 killed in January alone, and carcasses continuing to wash ashore. The highest number of manatee deaths for a single calendar year in Florida waters is 429, so local officials are closely monitoring these endangered marine mammals." read more
Floridians may not want to read another article about the cold snap that has wreaked havoc in their state, but we must make people aware of the toll that the cold weather is taking on the state's wildlife.
We all know that Florida's citrus crops has been hit hard by the prolonged cold temperatures, but not everybody is aware that the unusually cold temps have resulted in the death of many of the Sunshine State's wildlife.
Manatees can't tolerate water that's below 68 degrees for an extended period of time, and hundreds have succumbed to the frigid temperatures.
Thousands of sea turtle were rescued from the chilly waters last month. Thanks to volunteers many turtles were removed from the cold waters and temporarily placed in warm salt water. Almost all of the rescued critters have been returned to the ocean.
Manatees and sea turtles may not be as cute as puppies and kittens, but we must still do all that we can to save them. Get in touch with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission if you want to help.
Follow Robert Paul Reyes on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertpaulreyes
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
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