Revisiting the positive impact of the pesticide ban on the bald eagle population

Saving life on Earth is a passion many scientists share, says Steven Rindner. Bio conservation efforts are part of their priority, whether in school or in real life. But did you know that protecting the ecosystem has even helped revitalize one of America's symbols?

In 1782, the bald eagle was institutionalized as the national bird of the U.S. Since then, emblems of the proud animal have appeared on the Great Seal, logos of federal and state institutions, and official documents. In fact, it is said that the bald eagle is the most pictured bird across the country.

Unfortunately, there was a time when the populations of the bird of prey were nearly wiped out in some parts of the U.S. In the mid to late 20th century, the bald eagle was on the brink of local extinction due to numerous factors, including the wide use of the toxic pesticide DDT. According to Steven Rindner, the biohazard contributed to the thinning of eggshells and the sterility of adult eagles. By the 1950s, only 412 nesting pairs of bald eagles were recorded in the then 48 contiguous states of the nation.

Over the next decades, DDT became highly restricted and then banned from usage anywhere in the U.S. What resulted was a resurgence in the bald eagle population. In the early 1980s, the estimated population had rebounded to around 100,000. By 2007, it was delisted from the Endangered Species List after being put there exactly 40 years prior.

The population continues to thrive. For instance, the number of occupied bald eagle nests in Virginia had risen to more than 1,000, which is the most it has ever been since surveys were conducted more than six decades ago.

If anything, it shows that if needed, humanity can help recover the populations of endangered species, says bio student Steven Rindner.