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ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Researchers have been trying to learn more about a plant that has invaded lakes across Georgia and the Southeast and contributed to the deaths of eagles and other birds.
Scientists say the hydrilla has helped to cause the deaths of American bald eagles and thousands of other water birds over the past 25 years.
The Athens Banner-Herald reports that the plant isn't killing the birds directly, but is providing a home for a new kind of cyanobacteria that produces a lethal toxin.
An increasing number of afflicted birds began showing up in Arkansas, Georgia, and other states across the South.
The newspaper reports that the problem has been especially acute at Thurmond Lake, a man-made reservoir on the Savannah River between Georgia and South Carolina.
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Information from: Athens Banner-Herald, http://www.onlineathens.com
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