State cites funding for manatees’ survival
Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted funding to protect Florida’s manatees and improve water quality while visiting Blue Spring State Park.
In January, Blue Spring State Park saw a record 932 manatees seeking warm waters in the spring, beating their previous record of 736 manatees on New Year’s Day.
The state has invested over $50 million in manatee programs and more than $1.8 billion in water quality improvements since 2019. In 2023, Florida manatees had the lowest mortality figure since 2017.
In the last fiscal year, over $30 million was allocated to enhance and expand manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts, including habitat restoration for areas where manatees are highly concentrated. Additionally, $325 million has been invested to restore Florida’s springs, which serve as an important manatee habitat in the wintertime.
“Clean, sustainable water resources are critical for Florida’s residents, visitors, economy and manatees,“ said Shawn Hamilton, secretary for the Department of Environmental Protection.
The administration has proposed $330 million to continue targeted water quality improvements, and $9.5 million to continue Florida’s manatee protection programs.
