Just as the San Francisco Bay spill response was winding down, IBRRC was busy again treating hundreds of sick birds washing ashore in Monterey Bay affected by an oily substance.
At least 650 birds, some dead and many alive, were rescued and treated at the Cordelia bird center. The incident was caused by a naturally occurring red tide or algae bloom in the bay waters from Marina Beach north to Santa Cruz. At least 369 birds were washed and released back into the wild.
Dead and sick surf scoters, fulmars, grebes, loons and other near-shore birds began appearing on Monterey Bay beaches on Nov. 10. A second die-off hit again on November 24. The birds were initially brought to Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center in Santa Cruz and also transported to the IBRRC/OWCN's San Pedro bird center. Now the IBRRC center in Solano County is taking all new birds rescued in the spill.
The mysterious oily substance on birds was first thought to be a man-made spill. However, Dave Jessup, a California State Fish and Game senior veterinarian, says birds that turned up sick or dead weren't killed by the San Francisco Bay oil spill or aerial spraying to eradicate the light brown apple moth.
Moss Landing Mystery Spill
Birds affected
Died/Euthanized
Released
650
275*
369
(82 of the these were Dead on arrival. Reported as of 12/31/07)
"At this point we believe it's related to the algae blooms," Jessup said.
Red tide is a catchall phrase describing seawater with microscopic organisms that blooms causing it to change colors. What causes this is open to speculation: It could be weather pattern changes, fertilizer runoff after a hard rain, or a higher exposure to sunlight.
The part of the bloom sickening seabirds is a a water-soluble protein called a "surfactant." It foams when it comes in contact with water, but state officials are still trying to determine the protein's source.
Because the seabirds were not sickened by an oil spill or other human-caused incident, the Department of Fish and Game halted its bird rescue efforts November 27. Later in the week on November 29, Fish and Game reactivated search and collection. Members of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), veterinarians from UC Davis and IBRRC's experienced wildlife rehabilitation staff are now working on the spill.
The spill was dubbed the "Moss Landing Mystery Spill" because a large number of birds first beached themselves near Moss Landing Harbor in Monterey Bay.
As a non-profit, IBRRC is asking for public donations to offset the high cost of treating these birds. San Francisco Chronicle story
About the IBRRC/OWCN
partnership:
The International Bird
Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) plays
two major roles within the Oiled
Wildlife Care Network (OWCN). First,
IBRRC acts as the lead oiled bird
response organization that, under
the management of the OWCN, responds
to most of the oil spills that affect
birds, reptiles and fresh water
aquatic mammals in California. Secondly,
IBRRC is contracted to develop and
teach a series of annual trainings
for OWCN participants. These trainings
are designed to familiarize members
with concepts in oiled wildlife
capture and rehabilitation.
