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Daily Press: Birding: Osprey babies are starving from lack of fish
Summary
Chancellor Professor of Biology Dan Cristol wrote an opinion piece on the importance of studying and protecting the menhaden fish population in the Chesapeake Bay for the health and survival of ospreys.
Full Description
"If there are lots of young osprey, then there are lots of medium-sized fish. Lots of medium-sized fish should make everyone happy, because this is what big fish eat, and seals and dolphins too. It means the water is clean and the ecosystem is functioning well. This is how boaters, beachgoers and birders want our Chesapeake Bay to be. This is what anglers, whale-watchers and tourists want come here for. In this time of environmental fragility, seeing a lot of ospreys makes everyone hopeful.
So why have state legislators, marine resource managers and even some university researchers stood by while huge numbers of baby osprey starve to death every spring?"