Seeps are ponds on Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) that are usually man-made to help prevent botulism and keep the endangered Koloa Pōhakas (Laysan ducks) safe.
Cleaning them is one of the not-so-glamorous jobs that often pop up on the side of other work for volunteers and is usually not mentioned as often. Yet the work entailed is just as important.
Cleaning of seeps is a priority when the algae becomes so thick that the ducks/ducklings have trouble swimming and wading through it. Then seeps need to be aerated and algae removed so the Laysan ducks can swim safely. The process helps reduce instances of botulism. Botulism is caused by a widely distributed bacterium which loves warm summer water, low oxygen, and a rotting protein source.
So what happens if botulism affects Laysan ducks? In 2014, despite the regular seep checks and cleaning, volunteers and staff had seen signs of botulism among the Laysan ducks, although many fewer ducks were affected than in previous years. Sick ducks are brought into the “duck lab” in the office, treated with a dose of botulism anti-toxin and fluids, then placed in an aviary “duck hospital” for four days. Each day, if they are healthy enough, they are given nutrition in the form of diluted Ensure and duck chow. Surviving ducks are banded and vaccinated before being released.
Barbara Carr Whitman, author, explorer, and Marine Biologist, details cleaning seeps during her time on Midway in 2018:
“It ain’t easy work. It’s hot, the sun tries to bake you, you have to find duck hidey-holes in tall dense grasses and sometimes muck through summer-hot shallow water on the edge of their pond. They are called seeps – the ponds, not the ducks. I got in some good sweat and exercise and helped make the botulism problem a little better.”
Unfortunately, very few can be volunteers on Midway to do the hard work – yet you can get closer by supporting them. Donate or become a member today! Your generosity keeps the volunteers present on Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) every year, so they can do the vital work for the wildlife and ecosystem.
Article by Krystal Winn and Bill Levin