Pelican Deaths Under Investigation In St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — After more than a dozen pelicans have turned up sick or dead in area waterways over the past few days, the city of St. Petersburg is trying to hunt down the cause. Officials are also asking people to steer clear of a few bodies of water as the investigation into the mystery illness continues.

With the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other agencies, the city has removed the sick birds from the affected areas and is working to determine the cause of illness.

Water has been tested for biological indicators and dissolved oxygen levels, according to John Palenchar, interim director of water resources for the city. “Per Mayor Rick Kriseman’s direction, we are also pursuing more extensive testing in order to better determine a cause prior to (FWC’s) necropsy results,” he added.

Late last week, a cold-weather fish kill was reported near Riviera Bay Lake. This occurrence coincided by reports of sick pelicans, the city noted in an email to media. Even so, “we have not yet determined if there is a connection between the fish kill in Riviera Bay and the pelicans found sick or dead in other parts of the city,” said John Norris, the city’s director for stormwater, pavement and traffic operations.

Norris’ crew removed more than a ton of dead fish from the lake after the fish kill, the city noted.

Out of an abundance of caution, the city is warning residents to stay away from waterways in the downtown area all the way to Weedon Island. Signs warning people to not swim or fish in potentially affected waters have been posted.

On Tuesday Jan. 17, the city also announced it had brought in an independent ecologist to assist with the investigation. Arcadis U.S., a Melborune-based firm, will help out with testing to determine what is causing the pelicans to fall ill.

"We want to have experts evaluating this," Palenchar said Tuesday. "Independently tasked to find out - as soon as possible - what's causing this."

In addition to Riviera Bay Lake, sick birds have been found at Coffee Pot Bayou, near a “substantial pelican habitat,” the city said Tuesday. Officials believe the birds may have fed on fish at Riviera Bay before flying to Coffee Pot Bayou.

“All testing will be coordinated and used to formulate a plan to keep the birds safe, as well as alerting residents and recreational water users to any potential problems,” the city said Tuesday.

Just how soon more information will be available is unclear.

Photo by Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge via Flickr used under Creative Commons