Tell the Biden administration: Give manatees the highest protections under the Endangered Species Act

I urge you to re-list the West Indian manatee subpopulations, including the Florida manatee, as endangered. One-fifth of Florida manatees died in the last two years alone. Their population can’t sustain such heavy losses.

Pollution in the water has created massive algal blooms which block the sun from reaching the sea floor, killing the seagrass and in turn leading hundreds of manatees to starve to death.

Humans are causing this pollution, and we need to stop it. Sewage in the water from wastewater treatment plants and leaky septic tanks, plus fertilizer runoff from golf courses and farms, are destroying the seagrass.

Manatees, their habitat and their food sources all need better protections. Please restore manatees’ full protections under the Endangered Species Act and devote more resources to saving these gentle animals.