Noah Perlut’s study of bobolinks on the Galapagos featured on ‘People Nature Food’ podcast
The sabbatical research of Noah Perlut, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies, was recently featured on the Canadian podcast “People Nature Food.”
Perlut discussed his study of bobolinks on the Galapagos Islands, which demonstrated that these migratory grassland birds are likely the animals that brought four specific species of parasites to the Galapagos.
He explained that the parasites did not affect other animals on the islands until two non-native species of mosquitos were accidentally introduced to the area, and the mosquitoes then became transmitters of the parasites from the bobolinks to other animals.
Perlut presented his findings at a March 9 talk at the Kennebunk Conservation Trust in a lecture titled "Catch them at the scene: Identifying if migrating bobolinks bring novel parasites to the Galapagos."