(CNN) A grim prediction for Florida's manatees has come to pass: More manatees have died in the first half of 2021 than ever before in the state's recorded history. At least 841 manatees have died between January 1 and July 2, surpassing the previous record of 830 total manatee deaths in 2013, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported this month. It's more than twice the number of deaths recorded just one year earlier: 354 manatees died in the same period in 2020 (while a total of 637 died over the course of the entire year), according to the FWC. This year's die-off was primarily due to starvation, with a spike in boat strike deaths in the summer, the FWC said in its most recent manatee mortality report. Manatees feed in a recovery pool at ZooTampa at Lowry Park in Tampa, Florida earlier this year.

Source: CNN July 12, 2021 14:26 UTC