"Cold Blamed for Record Number of Manatees Deaths This Year"

"Manatees died in record-breaking numbers this year, but not from being hit by boats or poisoned by Red Tide. Instead, the largest group of the 699 manatees that were killed as of Dec. 5 were done in by bad weather.

A total of 244 manatees were killed by last winter's bitter cold snap, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's marine biology laboratory in St. Petersburg.

The cold deaths occurred across the state, reaching down even into the Everglades and the Florida Keys."

Craig Pittman reports for the St. Petersburg Times December 11, 2010.