Seagulls, and dump, implicated in Venice Beach bacteria

Seagulls feeding at the Ox Mountain Landfill ("the dump") are suspected to be the cause of elevated E. coli bacteria levels at Venice Beach, reports Julia Scott in the San Mateo County Times.  The beach is currently posted for no swimming by the county Department of Health.

Data collected along the beaches of San Mateo County over the past 13 years by Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will help answer that question. The agency has documented an unprecedented, localized seagull die-off just in the area surrounding the mouth of Pilarcitos Creek, according to research coordinator Jan Roletto.

A single day’s survey of a 3-mile stretch of Half Moon Bay State Beaches typically finds 60 to 80 dead seagulls, Roletto said.

None of the gulls are ever older than one year, and they are always emaciated by the time they die, she added.

The team concluded that the gulls were being killed by a fungal parasite, because they were already in a weakened state from eating unnatural food. And they suspect the dump is the source. A few weeks ago, I drove to the top of the road leading to the landfill and I was stunned by what can only be described as clouds of seagulls feeding on the garbage.  The article describes the steps that Allied Waste (formerly BFI) is taking to scare off the seagulls.

Note: The gull die-off occurred last year. There has not been another occcurance so far this year.