BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Florida\u2019s manatee mortality count surpassed 600 deaths in 2025, with Brevard County recording the most, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.<\/p>\n
Preliminary data show 628 manatee deaths in the state through Dec. 26, up from 565 in 2024, though still fewer than the 1,100 killed in 2021 alone, when manatees suffered starvation from a lack of seagrass, particularly in the Indian River Lagoon.<\/a><\/p>\n [WATCH: Manatees flock to Blue Spring State Park amid cold weather]<\/p>\n Brevard County saw 118 manatee deaths, with the majority involving young manatees. Fifty were listed in the \u201cperinatal\u201d category, which means they died within a year of birth. Twenty-one were not necropsied to determine a cause of death. Thirteen died from cold stress and another 13 died from natural causes. <\/p>\n Lee County in southwest Florida saw 113 manatee deaths through Dec. 26.<\/p>\n Statewide, the number of manatees that died within the first year of birth dropped slightly, from 155 deaths to 135 deaths. The number of manatee deaths that were not necropsied rose from 178 in 2024 to 232 in 2025.<\/p>\n The number of cold-stressed manatee deaths rose from 13 in 2024 to 33 in 2025, while the number of manatee deaths from natural causes rose from 57 deaths in 2024 to 63 deaths.<\/p>\n [WATCH: Manatee deaths rise in Florida (from 2025)]<\/p>\n Ninety-seven manatees were killed by watercraft, a number that has steadily risen since 2022.<\/p>\n There were other manatee deaths across Central Florida as well:<\/p>\n Flagler County: 4<\/p>\n Lake County: 4<\/p>\n Marion County: 6<\/p>\n Seminole County: 3<\/p>\n Volusia County: 38 <\/p>\n