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Mass die offs are not “normal” no matter when it happens.
He said there are other possible causes for the dead fish such as a fish disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia and Type E botulism, a bacterial toxin which would kill birds that feed on dead fish. He said he’s already seen a sick gull near the dead fish but that is not conclusive evidence.
Originally posted by IWant2Believe323
reply to post by totallackey
Enough with the circular arguments people, this is an intriguing topic but so far we have two pages or bickering back and forth. No one knows what caused it, that's why we're here to discuss and provide some researched theories.
It seems the inversion theory, low or no oxygen in the water, could have killed the fish, but definitely does not explain the dead seagulls. Starvation of the seagulls, due to the depletion of their food source, is a slower process. We wouldn't see dead seagulls at the same time as the fish, deaths would occur after. And if their food is scarce, they would just fly to another area in search of food. So that definitely leaves infection, poison, or methane. The huff post article says:
He said there are other possible causes for the dead fish such as a fish disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia and Type E botulism, a bacterial toxin which would kill birds that feed on dead fish. He said he’s already seen a sick gull near the dead fish but that is not conclusive evidence.
Anything at this point is pure speculation. But let's keep our eyes on this one.
the virus is apparently inactive in the digestive tract of birds.[2]
And that’s exactly what it’s doing. Since 1999, large epidemics of Type E botulism have been increasing in fish eating birds of the Great Lakes. In 2002, 25,000 birds died on the waters and shores of Lake Erie alone. This year, 2006, birds have been dying since July and the death toll continues to rise. Loons are particularly hard hit, along with mergansers, grebes, gulls, and shore birds. Fish are dying too, though even apparently healthy fish can contain the toxin. Many avian outbreaks are associated with obvious fish kills. Read more at Suite101: Type E Botulism and Birds: The Great Lakes Have Become a Toxic Place for Fish Eating Birds | Suite101.com suite101.com...