Mysterious Phenomenon at uCSB
While enjoying the hot Southern California sun, you might have noticed an unsettling sight: an overall increase of dead birds on UCSB and Isla Vista beaches. This phenomenon goes further than a bad week for these Cormorants. It’s the chilling sign of climate change’s impact on our local ecosystem.
Climate change doesn’t just cause hotter weather. Here in Santa Barbara, it’s messing up the delicate balance of the ocean food chain, leading to a deadly parasite outbreak among the Cormorants.
DEADLY PARASITES HAS Taken over UCSb
Investigative journalist Haley Williams, a journalist for Fox 11 news, reports on a unique parasite epidemic that is wreaking havoc on the population of Cormorants every spring and summer. Dr. Rebecca Duerr of International Bird Rescue is helping the fight towards understanding the cause.
While this exact source remains worrisome, her team from the International Bird Rescue has been able to identify the parasite. This parasite is scientifically known as Sarcocystis calchasi. This invading parasite inflames the Cormorants’ brains, causing seizures and, unfortunately, their death on our lovely beaches. As the summer days come, the sheer number of dead birds paints a grim picture of Santa Barbara and how it is affected by the increase in climate situations.
DEATH UPON THE BEAUTIFUL CALIFORNIA COAST
Over the past ten years, rising ocean temperatures have thrown the ecosystem into an unpleasing habitat. This “natural warmth spell” messes up the food chain of the Cormorants at its very base of phytoplankton and zooplankton; the microscopic foundation of the ocean life.
These microscopic creatures are victims of the warmer water, becoming malnourished. Eaten by fish who then lack their essential nutrients, the Cormorants then contract this deadly parasite by eating such fish.
Julia Parrish, a biologist who is associated with the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, describes the conducted survey by stating they “reached out to bird and rehabilitation centers from southern California to Alaska, out of 66 that responded, 37 reported receiving injured or dead murres—a total of 3,365 birds. The body count ticked higher.”
raptors, Pigeons, And Their Deadly Connection
As the plot thickens, a Scientist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife discovered that Sarcocystis calchasi was first detected in pigeons in 2017 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Senior Environmental. But how does a land bird infection make its way to seabirds?
Krysta Rodgers, a scientist at University of California Davis, reveals a surprising link in her research: raptors, who are predators of pigeons, carry the parasite eggs in their poop or digestive tracks. When these predators die with the addition of heavy rainfall (which is another consequence of climate change), the parasitic eggs are washed into the ocean, leading them to be accessible to unsuspecting seabirds.
more rain, no cure
There’s currently no cure for this climate-driven avian disease. Scientists warn that the future for Cormorants and other seabirds looks bleak as long as the climatic imbalance persists. Spring and summer will likely continue to see these heartbreaking casualties on our shores.
This isn’t just about dead birds. It’s a wake-up call to the cascading effects of climate change on our environment. We must act now to mitigate its impact and protect the delicate web of life that sustains us all.
