News

By Tiare Fridrich, Manatee Biologist

The City of Satellite Beach is home to DeSoto Canal, a primary warm-water refuge for manatees overwintering in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). The Indian River Lagoon is a 156-mile-long estuary that comprises 40% of Florida’s eastern coastline and is considered critically important habitat for the Florida manatee. Manatees are present in the IRL year-round, but during the wintertime—when water temperatures drop below 68°F—manatees must seek areas of warm water to rest, or they will suffer from cold stress. DeSoto Canal is one of these warm-water locations. Manatees habitually gather in DeSoto Canal each winter to survive the cold; because of this, the canal has become a popular manatee viewing location.

Following the news of the unprecedented number of manatee deaths in the IRL over the last few years, the site has garnered even more attention, with hundreds of visitors stopping by the site each day during the winter to observe the resting manatees. There were concerns of visitors attempting to feed the manatees at the site, which is illegal. With so many people visiting the spot, staff from the City of Satellite Beach recognized that this was a great opportunity to educate guests on manatees, threats to the Indian River Lagoon, and how the public could take action to help. The city asked Save the Manatee Club to help them design the educational posters at the park. Working with the city, we created four educational posters focusing on the importance of the Indian River Lagoon as an ecosystem, the importance of the Lagoon and DeSoto Canal for manatees, and how we as humans play a direct role in the health and protection of the IRL. The new posters were installed in April and are protected by eco-friendly plexiglass! This was an incredibly fun project and hopefully the first of many!