MIAMI, Florida: Florida wildlife officials have said that more than 55 tons of lettuce have been fed to starving manatees as part of an experimental program to help the marine mammals, as their natural food is being destroyed by water pollution.

Funded by more than 1,000 individual donations, the lettuce was dropped to manatees that gather in the warm water discharge near a power plant on Florida’s east coast during cold winter months.

In a conference call, officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the feeding program has made a difference.

“That is a substantial amount. We are not done yet,” said Ron Mezich of the Florida wildlife commission.

The initiative came after a record 1,100 manatees starved to death last year, though the problem requires a long-term solution, with pollution from agriculture, septic tanks, urban runoff and other sources killing the seagrass that manatees feed on.

Up to 25th February, some 375 manatee deaths have been recorded, compared to 389 during the same period last year.

Terri Calleson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said more than 80 rescued manatees are currently being cared for at facilities in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and Ohio, adding that some of those are abandoned calves that typically take longer to recover.

Last year, Florida legislators provided $8 million to several seagrass restoration projects set to be launched this year, officials said.

However, Tom Reinert of the Florida wildlife commission said, “We are not solving the seagrass issue in a year.”

The approach of warmer weather means the endangered manatees will disperse to areas where food is more plentiful, officials said.

“It is warming up, and that is a good thing for manatees. They will be moving on,” Reinert added.