The year 2021 is already devastating for Florida manatees. By March 19, at least 539 of the animals had died. That compares to 637 manatee deaths in all of 2020 and 607 the year before.

Nearly half of the deaths have occurred in Indian River Lagoon where manatees gather to stay warm in the winter—and this was a cold one. Many of the animals appear to have starved due to a scarcity of seagrass, their main food source in that area. Pollution and algal [AL-gull] blooms are blamed for the seagrass die-off.

Efforts to restore the health of Indian River Lagoon are underway, but biologists fear the seagrass beds won’t recover in time for the ailing manatees. For now, the focus is on rescuing sick animals and getting them to facilities where they can receive care. Here’s hoping the species as a whole will survive this most recent challenge.