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S5e11: Why Might Maine Lose Two Species Of Songbirds?, Ron Lisnet, Katherine Ruskin, Brian Olsen
S5e11: Why Might Maine Lose Two Species Of Songbirds?, Ron Lisnet, Katherine Ruskin, Brian Olsen
The Maine Question
Maine may lose two tidal marsh songbird species in the next few decades. Saltmarsh sparrows face extinction, while Acadian Nelson’s sparrows are threatened with extirpation — localized eradication with the possibility of survival elsewhere. Their populations along the Eastern Seaboard have been declining as sea level rise destroys their habitats and, according to a new University of Maine-led study, mercury exposure inhibits their reproduction.
In the final episode of Season 5 of “The Maine Question,” Kate Ruskin, a lecturer in ecology and environmental science at UMaine who spearheaded the recent mercury exposure study, and Brian Olsen, who is now an …