Algae Bloom Effects Cause LA Pelicans To Fall Out Of The Sky - AP

[hatrack]

LOS ANGELES - Pelicans are falling ill and dying from the same toxic algae bloom that is sickening sea lions and making shellfish unsafe for human consumption, wildlife rescuers said.

More than three-dozen endangered California brown pelicans have been taken to the International Bird Rescue Research Center in San Pedro during the past week. Eighteen were dead on arrival, and many more are dying in the wild, center officials said.

The pelicans and marine mammals are being sickened by a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which is produced by the algae and works its way up the food chain. Poisoned pelicans are flying farther than usual inland, dropping from the sky and suddenly flipping on their backs on the ground.

"They become very disoriented, they fly in different directions, they even fall out of the sky," Jay Holcomb, the research center's executive director, said Wednesday. "Yesterday we got one out of a parking lot in San Pedro." The state Department of Health Services also has warned that the algae is making it unsafe for people to eat certain sport-harvested mussels, and parts of anchovies, sardines, lobsters and crabs. Human consumption of seafood contaminated with domoic acid can cause illness, and severe cases can be fatal.

EDIT

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2627&ncid=2627&e=7&u=/ap/20060414/ap_on_sc/poisoned_pelicans_2

[babylonsister]

1. hatrack, thanks for all the digging you do to provide us with

what's going on environmentally, but do you know you are a bummer? Now I know why ignorance is bliss. :(

[hatrack]

2. I'm trolling for the DU Debbie Downer Award

I think my chances may be pretty good . . . :toast:

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. lol

Hatrack Rules!

[NMDemDist2]

4. ROFL

you do seem to find all those downer nuggets

but like the poster above, I read them all (even when I don't comment)

thanks for doing it :yourock:

[babylonsister]

5. Your chances are superb!

:toast: But I really did mean the "thanks".

[hatrack]

6. De nada! As I've said before, doing this gives the illusion of control

And if it's a useful public service, so much the better.

Thanks for tuning in!!

[NNadir]

7. Well, Debby, you do a great job.

To the extent we are believing in uppers, we're in bad shape.