Brevard County has recorded the highest number of manatee deaths in Florida so far in 2025, a grim statistic that has prompted significant legal action aimed at protecting the gentle giants in the Indian River Lagoon.

The latest data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) highlights a concerning trend, with a notable increase in fatalities attributed to boat strikes.

As of mid-June 2025, Brevard County has registered more manatee fatalities than any other county in the state. This comes as the region continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the Unusual Mortality Event (UME) that has plagued the manatee population in recent years due to the loss of seagrass, their primary food source.

The following chart illustrates the statewide manatee mortality trend over the past decade. The data clearly shows the impact of the UME, which began in late 2020 and led to a record number of deaths in 2021.

Florida Manatee Mortalities (2015-2024)

• 2015: 405
• 2016: 520
• 2017: 538
• 2018: 824
• 2019: 606
• 2020: 637
• 2021: 1,101
• 2022: 800
• 2023: 555
• 2024: 565
  Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

In a landmark decision in May 2025, a federal judge ordered the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to implement immediate measures to safeguard manatees in the northern Indian River Lagoon, an area that encompasses Titusville, Mims, and Scottsmoor.

The ruling mandates a temporary moratorium on the issuance of permits for new septic systems in the watershed and calls for the establishment of a supplemental feeding program for the animals.

This legal intervention stems from a lawsuit that successfully argued that pollution from wastewater and septic systems has decimated the seagrass beds, leading to manatee starvation and contributing to the ongoing UME.

Local conservation efforts have also been bolstered with the recent opening of a new manatee rehabilitation center at the Brevard Zoo. The facility has already begun treating and releasing rehabilitated manatees, including a recent successful release in early June. This adds a critical resource for animal rescue and care in the county.

For the communities of Titusville, Mims, and Scottsmoor, which all border the impacted areas of the Indian River Lagoon and the Mosquito Lagoon, these developments are of direct consequence. Residents and boaters in these areas are urged to be especially vigilant.

The FWC and conservation groups are emphasizing the importance of adhering to boating speed zones and being watchful for manatees surfacing to breathe.

While specific data on manatee sightings or incidents in the smaller communities of Mims and Scottsmoor is not typically reported separately from the county-wide statistics, their location on the lagoon means the health of this ecosystem is directly tied to the well-being of the local manatee population.

The new regulations on septic systems and the broader efforts to improve water quality in the lagoon are intended to directly benefit the habitat and food sources for manatees in these northern Brevard communities.

The FWC continues to monitor the situation closely and urges the public to report any sick, injured, or dead manatees to their wildlife alert hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).