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New Bill Would Gut Marine Mammal Protections
Rep. Nicholas Begich (R-AK) introduced a draft bill today that would eviscerate the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the sole federal law protecting marine mammals in
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Communities Push Back on Opening Waters for Oil Drilling
Defenders of Wildlife filed comments this week opposing new offshore oil drilling. More than 44 thousand public comments were submitted to the first comment period
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Defenders Opposes Reckless Reconciliation Energy Permitting Provisions in House Energy and Commerce Reconciliation Bill
Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes the energy permitting provisions proposed in the draft Energy and Commerce Committee section of the House budget reconciliation bill.
More Florida Manatee Press Releases
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Changes Sought for Florida Manatee Critical Habitat as Deaths Set New Record
Conservation organizations today filed a formal notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to revise outdated critical habitat for Florida manatees.
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Tampa Bay’s Catastrophic Red Tide Could Preview Florida’s Future
A large outbreak of highly toxic algae or “red tide” continues to impact Gulf Coast communities in Southwest Florida, resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 tons of marine life and fish, including manatees, goliath groupers, dolphins and endangered sea turtles along St. Petersburg and Pinellas County beaches.
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Gov. DeSantis Urged to Declare State of Emergency Due to Red Tide
More than two dozen local businesses and conservation groups today asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency due to the ongoing red tide and fish kills in and around Tampa Bay.
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Florida Manatee Deaths Break Annual Record with 841 Confirmed
Florida manatee mortality numbers now stand at 841 since the start of 2021, accounting for approximately 10% of the estimated total population of 8,810 animals and breaking the all-time record for annual manatee deaths. The previous record was set in 2013 with 830 casualties. With over five months left in the year, the death toll will likely continue to rise.
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High Manatee Death Rate Sounds Alarm on Biodiversity Loss
More than 400 Florida manatees have died since the start of 2021, fueling concern for the iconic and federally threatened species' future.
jcovey@defenders.org
