SARASOTA - When cold weather hits, we usually reach for a warm jacket or turn up the thermostat.  For manatees, the quest begins to find warmer waters in order to survive.

"This time of year when the weather turns cooler, most of the Manatees go to warm water sites," says Dr. James "Buddy" Powell, the executive director of Sea to Shore Alliance, a Florida-based non-profit that works to protect Manatees. Some of those areas along the Suncoast include power plants and warm water sanctuaries.  "Natural springs such as Crystal River and Blue Springs over on the Saint John's River," says Powell.

While the clusters of manatees at power plants can draw huge crowds at times and bring many people to the area, what many do not realize is strong cold fronts after mild weather periods can put these mammals' lives in danger.  "If they are not able to find warm water within a short period of time, they actually can die from acutely because of just cold," says Powell. He adds if they don't die right away, they could still suffer from a more chronic condition. "Pneumonia or other causes and they'll die later on."

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists, the past three years had the highest number of cold-related manatee deaths with 112 dying in 2011 alone.  "They were chronically exposed to those low water temperatures and suffered from chronic cold stress," says manatee veterinarian Martine Dewit.
 
But Dewit said the cold is not the only contributing factor to the overall deaths of manatees each year, coming in at 453 just last year. "There's another problem going on in Southwest Florida where there's red tide the manatees are susceptible to."

Local manatee protection organizers said they will continue to study, and hopefully find ways to bring those numbers down. "We'll be able to tell you know based on these assessments as it makes it easier for us to count them, what the population is doing," says Dr. Powell.

If you spot an injured or dead manatee, you are asked to call the FWC at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).

Sea to Shore will be having a fundraiser on Tuesday, January 24. They have more information on their website.