As Seagrass Habitats Decline, Florida Manatees Die of Starvation
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Provided by: NPR|Published on: April 27, 2021
Articles/WebsitesScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This NPR article and short podcast discuss the poor health of the Indian River Lagoon in Florida and the declining local manatee population.
- The lagoon's health has been suffering from increased pollution, which leads to algae blooms that kill the manatees' food source, seagrass.
- The podcast summarizes the article and has a written transcript that is accessible by clicking the paragraph icon in the podcast bar.
Subjects: Biology
Authors: Greg Allen
Region: North America, USA - South, United States, Florida
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article and podcast use statements from multiple sources to create a clear and concise argument.
- This resource has links to additional information that support the claims that are made and give more details.
- There is a focus on biodiversity, the importance of conservation, and solutions to the problem.
Prerequisites
- There is a strong focus on biodiversity and how ecosystems can be damaged, so students should be familiar with the concepts of "algae super blooms" and "estuaries."
Differentiation & Implementation
- This would be a great resource to use in a biology class when learning about ecosystems and food chains.
- Parallels can be made to other unique ecosystems, and this resource could be used to start a conversation about the unique ecosystems in other parts of the country or globe.
- Some other related resources are Estuary and Marine Monitoring Manual and The Solution to Climate Change Is All Around Us.
This resource is an article and a 5-minute audio news report discussing the recent catastrophic manatee die-off in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida. Climate change and other human-caused impacts, such as runoff, have severely impacted the seagrass that manatees eat and thus have impacted manatee populations. This recent die-off seems to be a tipping point indicating a severe degradation of lagoon ecosystem health. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
