CVN Science
Bird-killing algae bloom?
Hawkeye320, cub reporter

This represents Hawkeye's first story for us. It is an interesting one and starts a new section for us here at Cybertown Virtual News. It's been a while since we had a writer on scientific endeavors.-editor

A gigantic bird-killing algae bloom mystifies scientists
Scientists are trying to unravel the mystery of what caused a massive algae bloom off the Northwest Coast that left thousands of seabirds dead and might have sickened some surfers and kayakers.

The bloom which stretches roughly 300 miles from Newport Oregon North to the Canadian Border, persists, though it's a shadow of its September to October peak.
Whipped by waves and storms, the microscopic phytoplankton which had turned the ocean a rustic color, broke apart, releasing toxins and creating meringue-like foam that strip the feathers of birds of their natural oils. Up to 10,000 birds died form hypothermia in September, and researchers are trying to come up with a count for October.

Researchers are also checking reports that surfers and kayakers who came into contact with the foam might have suffered cold like symptoms, including temporary loss of smell and taste . In another strange twist, pathologists performing necropsies found that some of the birds lacked normal bacteria in their stomachs and in other internal organs.

No one is sure what ignited the bloom. Some scientists think it could be caused by climate change, which has raised ocean temperatures and made the water more acidic. Both conditions could favor this algae species. Others say it could be the result of weather conditions.

The bloom might have been feed by nutrients washed down the Columbia River from farms in Eastern Washington and Oregon, or even from an ocean condition known as upwelling, where cold water rich in nutrients is pushed up towards the surface by the winds.

Scientists studying the bloom off the US Northwest are wary when asked about the killer algae theory. Scientists are cautious about this theory, and continue to gather data.

A toxic algae expert and ocean sciences professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz, thinks algae blooms such as these described off the Northwest Coast are becoming more frequent.

It is consistent with climate change,but a bloom like this in the chilly waters of the Northwest is very unusual. As for the killer algae theory, people who study harmful algae don't dismiss it. But say it can't be proved.

By Hawkeye320, for CVN News

For more on this story try some of our resources at: September story:
http://article.wn.com/view/2009/09/30/Ecology_avoid_Lake_Spokane_toxic_algae_blooms_g/
November Story:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010378956_algalbloom29m.html
December story:
http://www.examiner.com/x-6959-Seattle-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m12d2-Mysterious-algae-killing-Pacific-Northwest-coastal-seabirds-at-an-alalrming-rate

Resources: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010165049_birds30m.html?syndication=rss



Travel to Cybertown!


Visit us at http://www.cybertown.com/