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Article: Manatees rely on power plants: If facilities close, sea cows could be out in the cold
- Article from:
- Sunday Gazette-Mail
- Article date:
- March 4, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2007 Sunday Gazette-Mail. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Sea cows call the warm waters near energy
facilities home. Scientists fear that if a plant closes, those
animals might not head to springs or migrate to South Florida.
For manatees, the warm water that spills from power plants is
addictive.
The plants have long provided the sea cows with an artificial
refuge beyond their natural winter habitat near springs and in warmer
southern waters.
Scientists estimate that six in every 10 manatees now winter near
power plants that line Florida's waterways.
It is a dependency that someday could have grave consequences for
the manatee.
State and federal officials expect many of these aging power
plants to close eventually. As the ...