LONGWOOD, FL -- Former Florida governor and U-S Senator Bob Graham, who died Tuesday at age 87, made protection of manatees a priority in public office.
He co-founded the Save the Manatee Club with singer Jimmy Buffett. The club's executive director, Patrick Rose, says Graham led efforts to pass the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act which made it illegal to harm or harass the creatures.
Graham ramped up efforts to save manatees after meeting Buffett backstage at a concert with his daughters in the early 1980s. Buffett asked him to do more to protect the creatures. Graham, who was then governor, created a Save the Manatee Committee and named Buffett to head it.
Find out more about Graham's efforts on behalf of manatees by listening to our Beyond the News podcast below.
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