By Renee Wilson
Communications Associate, 勛圖窪蹋 Florida
Published March 08, 2021
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MARCO ISLAND, FL 勛圖窪蹋 Florida, together with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and other professional research partners, have concluded that dead Common and Sandwich Terns found in 2018 died from diseases related to red tide blooms.
Their research, published by the Journal of Comparative Pathology in early March, is entitled .
勛圖窪蹋 biologist Adam DiNuovo was conducting routine monitoring of seabirds in the summer of 2018 on Marco Island when he first encountered numerous dead and dying seabirds.
DiNuovo and 勛圖窪蹋 volunteers were instrumental in documenting mortality, transporting sick birds, and working with FWC and other expert pathologists to identify the pathogens responsible for these infections, said 勛圖窪蹋 Florida Director of Bird Conservation Marianne Korosy, Ph.D.
In the fall of 2018, DiNuovo began observing sick and dying Common Terns and Sandwich Terns and personally delivered several of them to local rehabilitation facilities, including Conservancy of SW Florida von Arx Wildlife Hospital. Research on the remains of twelve birds, conducted by professional pathologists, identified this multi-species mortality event and described the unusual Bisgaard Taxon 40 bacteria. Researchers believe that brevetoxin may weaken seabirds and make them susceptible to deadly bacterial infections.
Red tide is created by blooms of Karenia Brevis, a planktonic alga that occurs naturally in coastal waters. When nutrients from agriculture, septic tanks, and elsewhere flow through Floridas canals and rivers, they become food for these algae when they reach the Gulf of Mexico.
In recent years, red tide has occurred more often and has persisted for much longer durations than was historically recorded. Water temperatures warmed by climate change exacerbate the conditions that fuel the algal blooms.
As Floridians, we all play a role in this issue, said Korosy. This research will continue until we identify and treat the causes which may be from multiple sources, she added.
勛圖窪蹋 protects birds and the places they. need, today and in the future.