NMC Seaplane to the (Bird) Rescue

by Lynn Geiger

Have you noticed a bright yellow seaplane flying across the skies over Traverse City this summer? That's a 1953 Piper Cub seaplane – a unique part of Northwestern Michigan College's aviation program – and it's about to embark on a critical mission: gathering the big picture (literally) of the series of events that leads to a significant bird die-off along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration next week, a camera will be mounted on one of the seaplane’s canvas-covered wings. The camera, which can see down through the water at depths of 50 feet, will record algae formations along the shoreline, says Aaron Cook, NMC’s director of aviation.

The cause of the bird die-off isn’t the mystery; invasive species are to blame. Clearer water resulting from filter-loving (non-native) mussels increases algae production. When the algae breaks down, a bacteria is produced that is lethal to some waterfowl.

In 2007, 1,700 dead birds washed ashore the national park. The majority were endangered loons.

“Literally, there was a loon every ten or 15 feet,” says Hans VanSumeren, director of NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, which is working with the aviation department on this project.

Though the die-off hasn’t been as massive since, the problem isn’t going away. VanSumeren says researchers and park officials need more knowledge about what occurs in the water’s environment during the spring and summer. NMC's seaplane offers the unique perspective the researchers haven't had until now. “It’s the whole piece of monitoring the Great Lakes, which we don’t do enough of,” he adds. 

 “One round goby [carrying the botulism-causing bacteria] that's eaten by a bird can kill it,” says VanSumeren. The toxin causes birds to lose muscle control, and when they can no longer hold their heads above water they drown.

“There is a lot of value in finding out what goes on (with algae formations) in the early part of the season,” VanSumeren says. “The bird die-off is a very complex event, and there’s just a lot of stuff we don’t know.”

To see a brief video of the seaplane in action, click on the video above.

Fun Fact: Out of more than 250 collegiate flight schools in the nation, only 30 percent have a seaplane as part of their program.