Local kids: Suggestions for saving the manatees, sea turtles and the St. Johns River

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letters were among those written by the students in Cyndi McKnight's third-grade language arts and social studies class at San Jose Episcopal Day School. Their topic is "Saving the Waterways" and the youngsters relied on sources that included the St. Johns Riverkeeper, Florida State Parks, St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Geographic and many more. Only minor edits were made.

I live near the St. Johns River. Lately I have noticed that there are fewer fish in the river. Did you know that there are too many nutrients (like proteins or vitamins) from stormwater runoff, fertilizers, pollutants and natural debris (like dead leaves)? They can all cause algae to grow, which could cause fish to die.

People should recycle trash, save water every single day (like taking shorter showers) and get an earth-friendly fertilizer. All the animals need your help, so get out and do your part to save them.

Lora Ann Brannock

I live near a pond and a beach. Lately, I've noticed tons of trash and plastic in the ocean and on my pond. Many creatures are dying because they will choke on plastic. They eat it because they think it's food and many die because some types of plastic are also poisonous.

Fun fact: Manatees can grow algae on their back because they are slow-moving creatures. Slow-moving creatures will go to the ground in the ocean and when they rest they grow algae. I want people to recycle more plastic, glass and metal.

Go to the beach, pick up trash, recycle more and stop littering. Volunteer for a clean-up at a beach or ocean, recycle more, adopt a manatee or a sea turtle. You got this.

Cameron Lee Decker

State of our air:What you need to know about Jacksonville area's air quality

Surprising solutions?Here's how people in Jacksonville and Florida can help local waterways

Letters:Jax Beach voters say ‘NO’ to taller buildings, 'YES' to thriving future

I have noticed that there is a lot of plastic on shore and washing out to sea, causing leatherback sea turtles to eat it and sadly pass away, because they think it is a jellyfish.

If you live on shore, you want to keep your lights low or off, because turtle hatchlings follow the light of the moon. If your lights are brighter than the moon, the turtles will follow your light, not the moon, and end up in the wrong place. I think that people should volunteer for a beach clean-up, pick up trash (even though it isn't yours), don't use fishing nets at sea and last but not least — keep your lights low or off if you live on shore.

Now get out there and help the sea turtles.

Shiva Galipalli

People throw away bottles, cans and personal items that end up in waterways. That can kill sea animals that can be harmed because they try to eat it.

Did you know that 33 billion pounds of plastic enter the environment every single year? That means 100,000 animals that live in the ocean die every year because they think a plastic bag is a jellyfish. What you can do is have beach clean-ups with your friends or family, volunteer to clean up trash and check your fertilizer to make sure it is earth friendly.

If you want to help save the waterways and the animals, go slow in your boat for manatees. You could also adopt a manatee and a sea turtle to save them. You can adopt a manatee at the Save the Manatee Club. So what are you waiting for? Go help save animals and the waterways.

Ella Jorgenson

I have noticed that there is so much trash in the rivers and ocean. Did you know an estimate of 8 million tiny pieces of trash are in the river? Even other people have seen trash in the rivers and in oceans.

I think that people should not throw trash in the ocean like cups and plastic bags. You could recycle and put trash in the trash cans and put recycling in the recycling bins. Another way you can help sea turtles is you should turn your outside lights off at night if you live at the beach. You can also volunteer at the beach to make sure the baby sea turtles are safe going to the water.

If everyone works together, we can all save sea turtles.

Hadley Lomax

I see that there is a lot of algae and less fish in the river. Did you know that fertilizers can cause algae blooms? As algae dies it uses the oxygen needed by plants and animals like fish. Fertilizers, pesticides and discharges from factories and businesses go into our water.

I think that people should avoid algae by using earth-friendly fertilizers, recycling or saving water. For example, you can turn off the water when you are not using it or pick up trash. Many places sell earth-friendly fertilizers, so it's easy to buy.

Remember, when there is a lot of algae in the river, plants and animals can die. If we all work together we can avoid algae blooms.

Juliette Meyer

There is a lot of pollution at the beach and not enough sea turtles, fish or living things. Did you know only one out of 4,000 sea turtles survives to be an adult? Some sea turtles eat plastic bags thinking they are jellyfish. Sea turtles are also threatened by global warming.

There are many ways we can help the ocean. I think a couple of things you can do to help is to pick up litter, especially plastic bags and turn off lights after dark on the beach because turtle hatchlings follow light instead of going to the ocean. Now that you learned these things, you can help go sea turtles, go pick up litter and turn off your bright lights.

Leo Osborne

Lately I have noticed that there is a lot of trash around and inside the pond by my house. Did you know that sea turtles can die by choking on trash like plastic cups, cans and plastic bags? By not littering there can be fewer sea turtles that can die from a lot of trash.

I think people should pick up any trash they see anywhere around ponds, beaches, rivers or anywhere else. So what are you waiting for? Look everywhere to find litter and any other trash that is not supposed to be there.

You can take care of sea turtles by many ways like recycling. Remember to take good care for sea turtles so they can live.

Ellie Park

Algae in oceans and lakes can be caused by some fertilizers. Another type of algae is red tide. Red tide contains a toxin called brevetoxin that kills fish and plants. To keep algae from growing, do not fertilize your yard with non-friendly fertilizers, especially before it rains. Runoff from your yard causes algae to grow and that is bad for animal habitats.

You should also not breathe in algae blooms because they are toxic. Some pollution can cause algae blooms to grow. For example, food being thrown into the ocean can cause algae blooms because food has nutrients and nutrients make algae grow.

There are many websites out there that could help you learn more about algae. So go out and learn how to save plants and animals from algae.

Davis Stoner

Better waste management:Jacksonville City Council approves pilot composting program for Riverside restaurants

Rayonier exec:Florida economy, environment thriving in 'goods from the woods'

Manatee species are dying at alarming rates and it is our fault. People are not disposing of their waste properly and they don’t bother to pick it up. In January 2021, two teenagers also carved “Trump” on the back of a manatee.

Manatees are slow and they get into collisions. Some get tangled in plastic and can not reach the surface and die. In 2021, there were 1,100 manatee deaths because of manmade hazards like gill nets, garbage, dredging equipment, trailing gear, chemicals and fertilizers.

It is not all bad news for manatees; people said that fewer manatees died this winter. But there are only 13,000 manatees left in Florida and still dropping. In a legal agreement with Defenders of Wildlife and Save the Manatee club, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has committed to revise the critical habitat of the Florida manatee by September 2024.

Now stop reading this and go save some manatees.

Robert White

Did you know plastic makes up 90% of the trash floating on the ocean’s surface? And a lot of sea turtles die because of balloons? And algae can often be in manatees' backs?

If you want to help turtles and other types of animals, start by picking up trash when you see it by the ocean or river and turn off the lights at night if you live at the beach. It’s time to start helping animals in the ocean or river.

Anita Lorenzo-Ledesma

I live near Mickler's Beach and there is a problem with sea turtles. There is too much litter in the ocean, plus too many lights on the beach at night (which is when the turtles are hatching).

Did you know turtles eat plastic bags? Turtles think plastic bags are jellyfish and eat them and they can choke on them. This causes the turtles to suffocate. Many of them also die from getting caught in fishing nets.

I think people should volunteer for cleanups at beaches and volunteer to check for sea turtle nests. I think people should save sea turtles.

Eli Eichholz

I have researched and heard about manatees dying from algae. The manatees are dying because algae is blocking sunlight from reaching them.

Although manatees can hold their breath for about 20 minutes, algae is blocking them from taking breaths. Did you know that algae is increasing water pollution? Also, warming water caused by climate change is making it worse.

We need to use less fertilizers and pesticides because they help algae bloom. We can also do something about this by buying friendly fertilizers. We should all do our part in using less fertilizers and pesticides.

Jonah Farmer

There is a lot of pollution in the St. Johns River, such as water bottles and plastic bags. There are some important things that you should know: First, scientists estimate that there could be another “green monster” here. The green monster was where there was too much pollution in the St. Johns and it occurred from an algae bloom that was caused by too much pollution. It happened in 2005.

Second, did you know that JEA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection signed the River Accord giving $700 million to improve the health of the St. Johns River. I think that people should volunteer for the McCoys Creek cleanup every week. Another thing I think that you should do is that if you see trash, don't just leave it — pick it up out of the water. But have gloves on in case you are wearing sunscreen, so it won't wash off and affect the river. Remember, every bottle taken out helps.

Easton Michael Hayes

Lately, I've noticed trash and plastic and not many sea turtle nests at the beach. I think we can fix it by picking up trash and not littering. Did you know that 1,000 leatherback sea turtles die each year from eating plastic and from getting stuck in nets and in some places people take their eggs to eat?

And I think people should pick up trash and don't throw it near the beach. Also, do not throw fishing nets where sea turtles are most likely to be and donate to animal doctors. Maybe use less water by taking shorter showers, too. Turn off the faucet if you're not using it or when you're brushing your teeth. If you want to adopt manatees or sea turtles you can look at SavetheManatee.org. But clean beaches by picking up trash and don't litter.

Ava James

Something is off about manatees. They are so slow that you could cut one in the back with your boat propeller and it will leave a scar. I think you should look out in the water for manatees and go slower than usual if they are around.

If you see a manatee zone you should go even slower. I think that manatees will go extinct by 2029 if you do not slow down. If you want to help one you can volunteer at the Beaches, don't buy so many fishing nets and slow down in a manatee zone. Go outside and save the manatee.

Evie Laufer

There are too many bottles and plastic bags in the water, which sea turtles get stuck in and mistake for jellyfish. Even though there are 6.5 million sea turtles left in the world, leatherback sea turtles are the most endangered creatures on earth because of the plastic bags.

People should clean up the ocean so that the sea turtles do not get caught in plastic bags. You can also volunteer and protect sea turtles.

Zoe Paulino

Too many sea animals are dying from stuff like trash, water pollution and boats. So I think we should put an end to this. Did you know 1.6 million pounds of trash goes into the ocean per day?

This trash is bad for all of the sea animals in the ocean. Over 1 million sea animals are killed per day because there is an estimated 199 million tons of trash in the ocean right now. So let’s clean the ocean. And more than 101 gallons of water are used per year, which is bad for their environment.

I want to end this so we can have clean beaches. If you want more information you can go to SavetheManatees.com and you can adopt one for $50. We should stop littering in the ocean to lower the count of trash in the ocean. Use less plastic or throw your trash in a trash can. You can save the sea animals.

Aaron Rodriges

For the mayor, it's personal:Atlantic Beach bans smoking at the beach and in parks.

I have noticed that there are not as many manatees as a few years ago because people have been careless, like hitting them with their boats and using fertilizers that are not earth friendly. I think we should have more manatee zones in the St. Johns River and people should use earth-friendly fertilizers for their grass.

Did you know that 1,000 manatees died in 2022 because of our actions, like hitting them and algae blooms? Chemicals in our yards make algae blooms because we don't use earth-friendly products for our grass and algae blooms take the oxygen from the water. Manatees can only hold their breath for 20 minutes.

What I want people to do is look for manatee zones and make more of them so people slow down. For people’s yards, use friendly chemicals and pesticides because all of those pesticides and chemicals make algae blooms. That will save some manatees.

Park Smith

There is a problem with the manatees because they are endangered animals. Manatees can get hurt if they are hit by watercraft like a boat, jet skis or a ship. They can be hurt by humans fishing, they get stuck in their net or hooks.

Manatees are also endangered in the water because temperature changes on Earth are caused by pollutants. In 2019, there were 5,733 manatees left in Florida waters and manatee scientists worry that there are less manatees each year. In 2021, manatee deaths almost broke records with 1,100 deaths.

I think that people should save manatees by changing laws, help clean the river and give more money to help study manatees. Take better care of the manatees today.

Julian Yazeji

Last weekend on a dock, I saw a boat going too fast. If you don't watch out for your speed you could hit manatees. People harming manatees is becoming a real problem.

You can do many things to help protect the manatees like putting up colorful signs to warn people and enforce manatee protection laws. And have police on boats watching people.

Manatees have been placed in the zoo to protect them from motorboats hitting them all the time. Last time I went to the zoo I saw a manatee who had been hit really badly with long scars on his face and back.

I have seen so many people just not caring if they see a sign. People should look for a sign and slow down for manatees. Floridians, start loving and taking care of your manatees.

Finn Foster

This guest column is the opinion of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.