US agrees to update critical habitat for Florida manatees

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — U.S. wildlife officials have agreed to revise the critical habitat designation for Florida manatees, which have been dying in record numbers because water pollution is killing a main food source. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a court settlement made public Wednesday that it will publish a proposed revision by Sept. 12, 2024. The agreement comes in a long-running court case involving the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club. The rule would bring enhanced federal scrutiny to projects that might affect the manatee in waterways in which the marine mammals are known to concentrate. Last year, more than 1,100 manatees died largely from lack of food, a Florida record. This year’s number is 562 deaths so far.