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Manatee update: commissioners briefed on 2024 deaths and draft implementation report
Summary
Presenter delivered an update on the 2024 manatee implementation report, reported nine manatee deaths for 2024 (including four recent cold-stress deaths), and circulated a draft final report for commission review and placement on a future agenda.
A presenter identified in the meeting as Dr. Pinta delivered the waterways commission’s manatee update and circulated what staff called the draft 2024 Manatee Implementation Plan for commissioner review.
Dr. Pinta said the document in the packet is the updated implementation report and that it is effectively final pending the commission’s review: "You'll have in your packet the updated report for the 2024 manatee implementation plan. It's pretty much the final report. It just has draft on it, but once it's been looked at by you guys and you're satisfied, we'll take that off and it'll be submitted as a final report," Dr. Pinta said.
Key data: staff reported that water temperatures were in the mid-50s (about 54–56°F) in monitoring locations and that salinity and water levels had recently risen. Pinta told the commission that four additional manatee deaths due to cold stress occurred after the previous meeting (locations listed as Durbin Creek, Ortega River, Goodbys Creek and Heckscher Drive), bringing the total to nine manatee deaths for 2024; two earlier deaths were attributed to watercraft strikes. No manatee deaths had been reported for the current year at the time of the meeting.
Commissioners discussed local manatee habitat and rescue history. A commissioner reported a local observation of a manatee bumping a diver’s leg near Ortega River; Pinta noted a known warm-water seep in the Ortega basin where manatees sometimes concentrate during cold periods and where rescues have been necessary in past winters.
Next steps: the presenter asked commissioners to review the draft report and indicated staff would finalize it after the commission had time to peruse the packet. Counsel advised that to comply with Sunshine requirements the report should appear as an agenda item before formal acceptance by the commission; staff said it would be available for consideration at a future meeting (staff suggested the report could be scheduled for the February 13 meeting and that an electronic copy would be provided to commissioners at least 10 days in advance).
Ending: Commissioners were asked to submit any edits; staff will finalize the report and place it on a future agenda for formal acceptance and removal of the "draft" label.
