Federal and state officials made the right decision last week to feed manatees this winter on an emergency basis if the die-off in Florida continues. More than 1,000 manatees have died this year, out of estimated population statewide of about 9,000. Nearly 760 died, mostly from starvation, in the Indian River Lagoon, on Florida’s east coast, where pollution from farms, septic tanks and lawns has killed off seagrass, the manatee’s primary food source.

Federal and state law bars the feeding of manatees, for a variety of good reasons; human feeding could wean them away from their natural diet, and acclimating manatees to humans could make them more vulnerable to getting injured or killed by boats. But the devastating loss of seagrass in the lagoon warrants this emergency response. Officials will use romaine lettuce to supplement the manatees’ diet. Wildlife advocates supported the move to supplement the manatees’ food supply, but all involved recognize it’s a stopgap measure that may or may not work, and that it’s certainly no substitute for controlling pollution runoff and rebuilding the seagrass beds.

Manatees, which can weigh more than 1,000 pounds, can eat between 50 and 100 pounds of sea grass in a day. The Atlantic population of manatees, including those that use the Indian River Lagoon, is one of four main populations in the state. The other three have not experienced a wave of mortality.

As this Editorial Board said recently, it’s time to put manatees back on the endangered species list. State lawmakers also need to make the cleanup of the Indian River Lagoon a priority

And leave the feeding to the professionals.

Remember: Feeding manatees could be a form of harassment, which is still illegal under state and federal law.