2007年末,成千上万的海鸟在美国加利福尼亚州蒙特里海湾瑟瑟发抖,衰弱不堪,并浑身散发着亚麻籽油的味道。
尽管这一切似乎是因原油泄漏造成的,但研究人员在最近出版的《PLoS综合》(PLoS ONE)上报告说,真正的罪魁祸首实际上是一种无毒的海藻——Akashiwo sanguinea。巨浪导致海藻释放出它们的蛋白质,并黏在受害者的羽毛上,从而使这些羽毛无法防水和绝缘。尽管人们一直担心有毒的赤潮,但从未发现海藻也能够像原油泄漏一样污染鸟类的羽毛。科学家担心,随着气候变化,这种事件会变得越来越频繁。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原始出处:
PLoS ONE 4(2): e4550. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004550
Mass Stranding of Marine Birds Caused by a Surfactant-Producing Red Tide
David A. Jessup1, Melissa A. Miller1, John P. Ryan2, Hannah M. Nevins1,3, Heather A. Kerkering4, Abdou Mekebri5, David B. Crane5, Tyler A. Johnson6, Raphael M. Kudela6*
1 California Department of Fish and Game, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center (MWVCRC), Santa Cruz, California, United States of America, 2 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California, United States of America, 3 Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, California, United States of America, 4 CeNCOOS Program, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California, United States of America, 5 California Department of Fish and Game, Water Pollution Control Laboratory, Rancho Cordova, California, United States of America, 6 Ocean Sciences Department and Institute for Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
Abstract
In November-December 2007 a widespread seabird mortality event occurred in Monterey Bay, California, USA, coincident with a massive red tide caused by the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea. Affected birds had a slimy yellow-green material on their feathers, which were saturated with water, and they were severely hypothermic. We determined that foam containing surfactant-like proteins, derived from organic matter of the red tide, coated their feathers and neutralized natural water repellency and insulation. No evidence of exposure to petroleum or other oils or biotoxins were found. This is the first documented case of its kind, but previous similar events may have gone undetected. The frequency and amplitude of red tides have increased in Monterey Bay since 2004, suggesting that impacts on wintering marine birds may continue or increase.