Florida’s iconic manatees are facing a crisis. More than 800 of them died last year, many from starvation.
The problem? Poor water quality is destroying the sea grass they need to survive.
Recently, we took our Eco Hero winner to Crystal River to see how an innovative program is saving the state’s gentle giants.
About an hour north of Tampa, you’ll find the picturesque Crystal River -- also known as the Manatee capital of the world.
Hundreds of these lumbering sea cows migrate here each winter to escape the cold Gulf waters.
In January, scientists counted more than 1,000 manatees grazing here in the springs.
But not all of them leave when the waters start warming up. About 100 stick around, even in the summer.
The reason is an abundance of food, thanks to some fancy underwater farming.
The growing manatee presence is a welcome sight to residents and tourists.
“What’s really great about this area is we have both of the things that they depend on for survival -- we have plenty of food and we have warm water habitats,” said Crystal River Visitor Services Specialist Monica Millburg.
But these waters weren’t always welcoming to the manatee.
Eight years ago, the seagrass restoration project began to turn things around.
“We’ve taken a lot of time to vacuum all of the algae out of here and vacuum all of the muck from the bottom,” said Sea & Shoreline biologist Jess Mailliez.
Biologists with Sea & Shoreline took our Eco Hero team, including Eco Hero winner Sienna Robertson, 13, out to show us the problem and their solution.
“Sea & Shoreline aims to restore habitats to their natural state so there’s plentiful of food for the manatees and any other animal that’s living in the water for decades to come,” Mailliez said.
Before the ecosystem could be restored, decades of decay and muck needed to be removed. Thick mats of algae had been suffocating the seagrass.
Once the sandy bottom was cleaned up, the underwater gardeners got to work planting seagrass, using protective cages to help them grow and flourish.
And flourish they have! What started as 80 acres of planted sea grass has naturally expanded to more than 250 acres of delicious healthy food for the manatees and other sea life.
The result is more eco-tourism in the area.
“It helps with the water clarity,” dive manager Don Markham said. “It cleans up the water and makes it really crystal clear in some spots. Where four years ago, we’re swimming in coffee, now we’re in pool-like crystal clear water and it’s a major food source for the manatees.”
This multi-million dollar restoration program was made possible with government grants and private donations, giving eco tourists a thrill of a lifetime -- the chance to swim alongside Florida’s beautiful gentle giants in clean and healthy water.
“They’re so majestic -- elegant creatures,” Robertson said. “And they’re the cows of the sea!”