2007年末,，成千上萬的海鳥在美國加利福尼亞州蒙特里海灣瑟瑟發(fā)抖,，衰弱不堪，并渾身散發(fā)著亞麻籽油的味道,。
盡管這一切似乎是因原油泄漏造成的,，但研究人員在最近出版的《PLoS綜合》（PLoS ONE）上報(bào)告說，真正的罪魁禍?zhǔn)讓?shí)際上是一種無毒的海藻——Akashiwo sanguinea,。巨浪導(dǎo)致海藻釋放出它們的蛋白質(zhì),，并黏在受害者的羽毛上，從而使這些羽毛無法防水和絕緣,。盡管人們一直擔(dān)心有毒的赤潮，但從未發(fā)現(xiàn)海藻也能夠像原油泄漏一樣污染鳥類的羽毛?？茖W(xué)家擔(dān)心,，隨著氣候變化，這種事件會變得越來越頻繁,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
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.
