County leads in manatee deaths due to cold

Lee County has the highest total number of manatee deaths in the state for 2026 so far, according to newly released preliminary manatee mortality data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). FWC’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory has recorded 101 manatee deaths in Lee County from Jan. 1, 2026 to July 24, 2026. […]