Cold Snaps Took Toll On Manatee Numbers

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - The record breaking cold weather snaps in the beginning and end of 2010 took their toll on the state's manatee population.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports of the 767 manatees which died last year, 279 of those deaths can be directly attributed to 'cold stress'.

"The unusually high number of manatee deaths in 2010, including those caused by the two periods of cold weather, are of concern to the FWC," said FWRI Director Gil McRae in a written statement. "Over the next few years, the FWC will be relying heavily on monitoring programs to better understand any long-term implications for the manatee population. In the meantime, we will continue to work with our partners to enhance the availability of natural warm-water sites and to rescue manatees in distress."

Cold weather can weaken manatees' immune systems and eventually kill them.

Of the 96 'perinatal' or newborn manatees which died, cold weather contributed to 21 of those deaths. . In addition, the agency said it's likely that cold temperatures contributed to many of the 214 deaths in the "undetermined" category and the 68 deaths in the "unrecovered" category.