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Thursday, February 5, 2009

Free Seminar- Botulism and the Bottom of Lake Michigan

duck paralyzed by botulism
Redhead duck paralyzed by botulism (photo by T. Bollinger from Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre)
based on a news article in the Leelanau News, "Seminar to Focus on Botulism Die-Offs," Feb 2, 2009

The Inland Seas Education Association is offering the seminar, "The Bottom of Lake Michigan and Its Connection to Botulism," on Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay (100 Dame Street). The program begins at 7 pm.

Ken Hyde, wildlife biologist with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be the presenter. The seminar is free and open to the public.

Hyde will speak about the back-to-back waterbird die-offs of 2006 and 2007 that occurred at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Type E Botulism was identified as the cause. Over 4200 bird, and countless fish have died of the disease. Eighteen species of birds, including the endangered piping plover, and eight fish species were affected.

The mechanism of bacterial spread is linked to the exotic species, the round goby and quagga mussels. A native algae is also a part of the cycle which supports the botulism bacteria. The program will explain current research efforts and potential long-term impacts.

Hyde has degrees from Brigham Young University and Texas A & I University in wildlife and range management. His experience includes over 20 years as a wildlife biologist and conservationist with the Utah Division of Wildlife, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

See Inland Seas Education Association
See 330 Trillion Quagga Mussels Can't be Right
See The Sad Farewell for Loon C-3
See Type-E Botulism Confirmed in Waterfowl Deaths
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

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