https://www.wired.com/story/scientists-finally-identify-a-deadly-toxin-thats-been-killing-birds/

BAD NEWS FOR US.

What say you.....

Sounds like the weed killer is the problem.

The hydrilla picture in the article isn't even hydrilla.

I agree that isn't hydrilla in the pic. I found that on google news. (cyanobacteria) put that in you browser. it seems to have a lot to do with algea blooms and lots of problems all over the country.

Personally I love Hydrilla. Just passing on the info.

Just an opinion from a non biologist but bald eagles have made an incredible comeback in North America. Decades ago before the eagles were common place nesting on southern lakes the hydrilla was already here in spades. They made their comeback with hydrilla in all the lakes they made they nests above and fed from and now it’s killing them? Oh well, maybe it will all of the sudden start killing the cormorants too. 🤔😁

My non scientific opinion is anything that can kill grass is toxic to some degree and not good for anything.

Convince the government that the herbicide used on hydrilla has killed a single bald eagle and maybe Biden will shut down all lake spraying with an executive order tomorrow.

“ Hydrilla is such a persistent pest that people have tried using herbicides like diquat dibromide to kill it off; could that herbicide be the source of the ingredient that creates this toxin? Wilde and Niedermeyer think it’s possible.”

“ Not every lake that has hydrilla has had an AVM outbreak, but there are many where the weed has been treated with herbicide, and they could potentially become toxic in the future.”

Hopefully this is the issue.

Hydrilla is the filter......bet

Interesting enough the scientist studying the green algae determined it was bromine that made the green algae deadly. They are continuing their studies but they have theories it may be linked to the herbicides used to kill hydrilla. Go figure!!! We went through this with DDT, agent orange, round up etc. it’s time to stop the spraying. Here’s the article.

https://apple.news/A04iBPnscR02vZb74SSWKkQ

Sadly the study is being used to make the case hydrilla is the cause not chemicals being introduced to bolster positions to eradicate hydrilla ..........with grass carp versus herbicide.

Let’s eradicate the invasive plant with an invasive fish to save our native birds and kill our native fish.

Even if they managed to rid every lake of hydrilla, they’d still have to spray the giant salvinia, which seems to thrive on those east Texas lakes with the higher Eagle populations.

Funny because I see a lot more Eagles on Rayburn than I do on Conroe or Livingston with no grass....

It's 100 eagles and an estimated thousand birds over a roughly 30 year period? So 3-4 eagles per year average. I guarantee you 20 times that number die of natural causes every year (probably way more). Seems like a non issue to me. Lots and lots of plants can be toxic under the wrong conditions. Many you see and eat every day. It's also not surprising that an element like Bromine is found in higher concentrations around/in aquatic vegetation. Plants are a know filter above and below the water. Nobody capable of rational thought would start eradicating hydrilla based on this, but most lakes are managed by a government agency so rational though is out the window I guess.