8 Manatee Deaths Plague Florida

State officials are currently attempting to remove thick mats of algae that has been polluting waters on the Atlantic Coast, and they may try a "mechanical" method to strain the algae from the St. Lucie River.

Martin County's environmental restoration manager, Deborah Drum told commissioners that reducing freshwater flows from Lake Okeechobee may be reducing the appearance of the algae in the river. Pantagraph reported that an unrelated algae bloom is also starting trouble in the Indian River. Wildlife officials say that changes in the river's vegetation may have even killed eight manatees in the Brevard County river since the end of May - algae blooms may have caused massive fish kills in the area.

Dead manatee found in Stuart - area on Treasure Coast w green algae emergency. Cause of death unknown. Photo: @WPTV pic.twitter.com/yh0A4LZg6x

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) July 2, 2016

Martine de Wit, a veterinarian for the Florida fish and Wildlife conservation Commission said that eight manatees have died in the Indian River Lagoon since May. The Washington Post also said that more than 150 manatees have died in Brevard County since 2012 when the algae bloom wiped out the sea grass that Manatees eat.

No manatee death were reported since August, but an algae bloom earlier in the year caused massive fish kills. However, the bloom is said to be unrelated to algae that fouled the waters in the St. Lucie River. What could have caused the killings may be the dietary change associated with the mammals, as they are susceptible to digestive complications. The carcasses, according to De Wit contained seaweed, a type of algae.

The Orlando Sentinel noted that Federal managers of the lakes have been protecting the aging dyke, as well as operations and communities nearby from disastrous flooding by the flushing torrents of lake water into St. Lucie River and parts of the Indian river. Still, the lake water contains fertile chemicals feeding the algae growth that has washed ashore and caused closures for waterfronts and popular beaches.

While the mess hasn't killed wildlife on a large scale recently, the stretch of Indian river has been killing brown pelicans, bottlenose dolphins, and many species of fish and manatees, among others.