Toxic red tides have poisoned an unprecedented number of manatees - an estimated 174 - in Florida this year, according to NOAA.
Karenia brevis, a harmful species of algae, is to blame, according to NOAA.
Manatees, endangered marine mammals, grow to about 9 feet long (on average) and weigh about 1,000 pounds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The oldest known manatee, according to the service, is more than 60.
That's older than me (but not by much)!
In August 1995, I helped cover the appearance of Chessie the manatee at the Jersey Shore. Chessie was spotted in the Shark River and inlet, in Manasquan Inlet and off Long Beach Island, according to an Aug. 5 story I wrote.
Chessie in Chesapeake Bay in Maryland on July 12, 2011 (Source: Hank Curtis via the U.S. Geological Survey)
Chessie in Virginia in 2001? (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Also years ago, I saw (possibly injured) manatees being fed nutritious romaine lettuce while I was on vacation in Florida.
Here's a graphic that shows the extent of the manatee-killing algal blooms this year:
Source: NASA/NOAA
My iPhone photo of a manatee mailbox on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in summer 2012
