A Utah State University research team told the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council it is launching a multi‑year investigation into avian botulism on the Great Salt Lake, with the aim of identifying where and why outbreaks start and whether the toxin can be tracked in environmental samples.

The team, introduced by assistant professor Jessica Sanchez and led in the field by master's student Jacqueline Plaster, outlined laboratory and field methods, collaborations and data needs. "Botulism is a potent neurotoxin that's produced by an anaerobic bacteria called Clostridium botulinum," Sanchez said, explaining the toxin type most associated with waterfowl (type C) and the characteristic symptoms managers see in the field (difficulty flying, wing droop and the so‑called "limber neck").

Why it matters: the presenters said epizootics are locally devastating and can scale up quickly. Sanchez described the maggot–carcass amplification cycle as a key mechanism that turns individual deaths into large die‑offs: maggots feeding on carcasses can concentrate toxin and then be eaten by other birds, propagating larger mortality events. The team noted reports across North America and historical records indicating such events at the Great Salt Lake since 1910.

What they plan to do: the group will use molecular tools and collaborate with the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to develop a PCR assay capable of detecting toxin genes in environmental samples and serum; they will run intensive spring field surveys and create an online field reporting form tied to the state's wildlife disease database. They asked councils and managers to share GPS coordinates, species observations, accessibility notes and any historical diagnostic records that predate the team's 2013‑onward diagnostic dataset.

Q&A highlights: Council members pressed presenters on nutrient and cyanobacteria links, wet‑year dynamics, and the practical efficacy of carcass pickup. Presenters responded that the literature is mixed, drivers are often confounded by concurrent factors (temperature, salinity, flood/drawdown timing), and that site specificity matters — no single management recipe fits all locations. The researchers emphasized that the study’s goal is to move from reactive case reporting to predictive site susceptibility and more targeted responses.

Next steps: the team invited managers to contribute location and historical data and said they will coordinate survey tools and continue collaboration with USGS, Bear River Migratory Refuge staff and DNR biologists. The council did not take formal action on the study; members thanked the presenters and encouraged continued data sharing.