‘Threatened’ US Manatees Assembled in Warm Waters Near Florida Power Plants After Destruction of Habitats

In the present environmental conditions, several beings have found themselves in a vulnerable state. One of these threatened creatures is Florida's manatees, BBC stated. Fluctuating temperatures have left them bereft of a suitable natural habitat. However, the creatures have found themselves a new home in an unexpected place. 

Manatees in their tough time have found shelter around power plants. This has happened because the water released by these establishments is perfectly suitable to their needs. Manatees can't survive in waters with a temperature below 20C (68F). These creatures need warm water and they are finding them in locations like the surface of the sheltered canal next to Apollo Beach and Cape Canaveral in Indian River Lagoon. These new-found shelters are getting their heat from the water discharge of large coal plants. Some researchers believe that the lack of other suitable water habitats has made these creatures addicted to such power plants.

Researchers believe such events showcase the intellect of manatees, National Geographic stated. “Manatees are very opportunistic, and from what we’ve seen they’re capable of finding a one-degree Celsius difference in water temperature and will hone in on it,” said Monica Ross, the director of manatee research and conservation at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 

This bewildering phenomenon was facilitated because the manatees' typical feeding grounds which are the natural springs along the Atlantic coast, have been destroyed due to development, according to BBC. Despite the loss manatees managed to find a satisfactory home for themselves in the water discharge of plants. However, it is not a permanent solution, according to environmental conservationists. The US as a whole is turning towards renewable energy, which sooner or later will lead to the decommissioning of plants.

Florida has set a goal to become 'net zero' in terms of emissions by 2050, which will possibly lead to the phasing out of warm water discharges in the next few decades. "It is one of the most unbelievable human-wildlife conundrums I've ever seen in my life," said Elizabeth Fleming, a conservationist and manatee expert at the non-profit Defenders of Wildlife. "We have totally reengineered their whole habitat." In 1997 world saw how changing priorities left poor manatees to bear the brunt. That year a power plant in Florida was modified to meet water standards, eliminating warm water discharge in the process. The manatees who were coming into the surrounding waters during the winter months had no idea about the change, causing most of them to die of cold stress. 

Fleming believes it is the need of the hour to create or figure out new places for these manatees to live, otherwise, there could be a huge disastrous decline in the future. Even if decommissioning is some time apart, the artificial warm water habitats are not fully prepared to support the manatee population. Many do not have enough seagrass, the primary food of manatees to support the creatures. The concern for manatees increased in 2021 and 2022 when manatees in the artificial warm water of the Indian River Lagoon began dying, because of the lack of seagrass. "It was unprecedented," said Pat Rose, founder of Save the Manatees. "It took a tragedy for people to understand what was happening to these manatees."