[NukeNet] State wildlife biologists are trying to find out what caused a die-off of cormorants at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

[MoJo]

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispotribune/15590318.htm
Posted on Sat, Sep. 23, 2006   
 
Die-off of cormorants investigated
About 100 are found dead, but deaths do not appear to be related to the
plant, expert says

By David Sneed
dsneed at thetribunenews.com

State wildlife biologists are trying to find out what caused a die-off of
cormorants at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

On Aug. 15, commercial divers found about 100 dead Brandt’s cormorants on
bars that cover the plant’s cooling water intake structure. The discovery
of that many dead birds is unusual, plant officials said in a report to
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Divers collected four of the dead birds and turned them over to the state
Department of Fish and Game for analysis to determine the cause of death.

"It seems like a pretty isolated event," said Mike Harris, a state
biologist in Morro Bay. "There is no indication that it had anything to do
with the operation of the plant."

Brandt’s cormorants are sleek black shorebirds common along the Central
Coast. They are most often seen roosting in large colonies on offshore
rocks.

Plant workers noticed five live cormorants struggling in the water in
front of the intake structure the day before the die-off was discovered,
plant spokesman Jeff Lewis said. The next day, commercial divers found the
dead birds during a regularly scheduled inspection of the intake
structure.

State biologists have conducted some tests on the birds and are beginning
to narrow down the cause of death. Final results of the testing will be
available in late October.

"We’ve pretty well ruled out domoic acid or some other algal bloom, but
there’s still concern that it’s possibly some other type of toxic event,"
Harris said.

Plant workers report that an unusually large colony of cormorants nested
on a rock near the south end of the intake structure this year. They
estimate that between 2,000 and 3,000 birds nested there, Lewis said.

The cormorants were of a range of ages and were not emaciated, so Harris
does not think they died of starvation, which killed a large number of
juvenile brown pelicans earlier this year.

Divers regularly inspect the intake structure to check its condition and
remove debris. The structure had been inspected about a week before the
die-off was discovered, leading biologist to believe that the event
happened quickly.
 




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Tori Woodard is a dear friend of mine who now lives in China.  She just got back from a 30-day trip through Mongolia.  The following quote is from an email to me after visiting a temple - 

"After we look at some particularly frightening gods, Muugii asks me
what my religion is. I shrug and say I don't have one. Her response
surprises me:  "Then you're free!"  

Mongolians understand freedom."

Molly Johnson 
6290 Hawk Ridge Place
San Miguel, CA  93451
Cell: 805 296-0524

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