Why Is Florida Releasing 750 Million GMO Mosquitoes?

The U.S. EPA recently gave the green light to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. Why are they doing this, and what are the potential risks?
» Subscribe to Seeker! bit.ly/subscribeseeker
» Watch more Elements! bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist
» Visit our shop at shop.seeker.com
In May 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave the go ahead to release hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys.
Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animals in the world-they carry a variety of diseases including but not limited to malaria and yellow fever. Mosquitoes cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year as a result of their bites.
One mosquito species in particular, Aedes aegypti, can spread several diseases like dengue, zika, and yellow fever and is considered a serious threat to public health.
So why would anyone in their right mind what to purposefully release hundreds of these into the world?
Find out in this Elements.
#mosquito #gmo #EPA #florida #science #environment #seeker #elements
Read More:
Florida mosquitoes: 750 million genetically modified insects to be released
www.bbc.com/news/world-us-can...
"The green-lighting of a pilot project after years of debate drew a swift outcry from environmental groups, who warned of unintended consequences. One group condemned the plan as a public 'Jurassic Park experiment'."
Study on DNA spread by genetically modified mosquitoes prompts backlash
www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/...
"A team of independent researchers analyzing an early trial of Oxitec’s technology is raising alarm-and drawing fire from the firm-with a report that some offspring of the GM mosquitoes survived and produced offspring that also made it to sexual maturity."
This May Be the Deadliest Creature on Earth
www.nationalgeographic.com/ma...
"We squash mosquitoes with our enormous hands. We poison-bomb them from spray trucks and airplanes. We irradiate them, drain their habitats, breed them experimentally in laboratories to confound their DNA."
____________________
Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested on all the compelling, innovative and groundbreaking science happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond.
Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.
Visit the Seeker website www.seeker.com/videos
Elements on Facebook / seekerelements
Subscribe now! kzbin.info_c...
Seeker on Twitter / seeker
Seeker on Facebook / seekermedia
Seeker www.seeker.com/

[@sanjit8213]

lots of scary buzzword: GMO, mosquito, FLORIDA...

[@HShango]

How the hell are these words scary, it's just science jargon.

[@mohit5496]

👆 this guy did not get the joke

[@alexmediagroup8971]

@@HShangoFlorida is scary bro

[@inceldestroyer1069]

Hes right.

[@wesleyhempoli5548]

@@HShango said the peanut brain that ends a question with a comma.

[@admiralsunshine]

I've been in Florida my whole life and the mosquitoes now in December 2022 are completely out of control. They are numerous, unusually aggressive, out during the day, and the fall chill has not made them retreat underground. Mosquitoes in rural Florida have always been small and all black, I've never seen striped mosquitoes in the woods before. The striped variety generally stay in urban areas and are opportunistic and sneaky rather than swarmers. Some of what I've read anecdotally from Brazil is that the altered males interbred with other wild mosquito varieties and offspring share traits physical/behavioral/etc. This stands up well to what I'm seeing now. If only someone could have seen this coming, like the more than 200,000 Florida Keys residents who signed a petition and were painted as dumb hicks

[@MrPolandball]

Now there’s malaria outbreak in florida

[@DirtyShishKabob]

Now we have to deal with malaria... look into Bill gates project

[@charlesmrader]

@@MrPolandball The cases of malaria in Florida are NOT anywhere near where the Oxitec mosquitoes were released.

[@scottwilliams9668]

I’m in Ontario Canada, and this is hitting us hard now!! I can’t even take my daughter to the park, and they’re not just at night anymore. They’re throughout the day now. I’m being attacked in 10 degree Celsius weather.

[@SuddenGusts]

You think they can't travel?@@charlesmrader

[@thegoldengriffin6377]

Comment section: 99% Florida Man memes 1% Science

[@kenj4136]

.000001% comment meta analysis 😀

[@xxgimpl0rdxx22]

Science? What? No. This is a yt comment section.

[@thegoldengriffin6377]

@@xxgimpl0rdxx22 makes sense why there's just memes here it's like twitch chat

[@boogiethekingtm5413]

Were is this 1% you speak of 😂 always looking for that side of the comment section

[@Snabel]

Its 2020 nothing could go wrong right?

[@peterthongborisute3218]

Hahahaha.... no?

[@decembersunita]

😂

[@unbeatableox3846]

Yes. Nothing

[@stevechance150]

Genetically modified mosquitoes, released into the wild, in 2020... Do you want a zombie apocalypse, 'cause this is how you get a zombie apocalypse.

[@amenoxblitz7317]

@@stevechance150 more like getting more conspiracies

[@fiat2496]

they should first release it in the yards off all the scientists and executives of the company to prove how safe it is

[@artsymamanana]

And now, suddenly malaria has just struck Florida.

[@charlesmrader]

This is an extraordinarily stupid comment. Malaria is carried by mosquitoes in a totally different genus. Malaria is caused by a microbe, where as the Aedes mosquitoes carry viruses. The released Oxitec mosquitoes were in the Florida keys, hundreds of miles away from Sarasota county, where the malaria cases were found.

[@jonbarlock848]

In 2023 there are cases of molaria in FL and Texas. Those are the two states mentioned in this video. Coincidence???

[@crazyboss3438]

Bioweapon…

[@charlottebarham7722]

this breed of mosquito doesn't carry malaria.

[@lolok1099]

Maybe those counties have the most mosquitoes bozo

[@posterizedsoul4810]

2020: Already has been a bad year Florida: Here's a gift form our side.

[@i_might_be_lying]

Florida keeps on giving!

[@axion986]

Sounds like a positive on their part.

[@miss.apprehended]

it's Bill Gates's doing; just like he's involved in plenty other schemes that prop up this plandem!c- Oxitec is a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded/founded organization.

[@Hyraethian]

@@miss.apprehended If this project has Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Funding then Id like to go from 100% on board to 110% on board.

[@LittleRainGames]

@ֆђคภภ๏ภ Ꮛɭץรรค lol no... bill gates is a good man. shows how you are most likely autistic as you have a horrible judge of character. you can see it in Bills eyes that he is good, if you were autistic you wouldnt be able yo tell. like you can see how Kenneth Copeland is clearly the devil.

[@imadumass2378]

When people realize mosquitoes were the bio weapon.

[@crazyboss3438]

Frl…

[@Sciencerely]

As a human biologist, I think it's amazing how CRISPR Cas9 gene editing have enabled so many different new fields of research. Besides the mosquitoes GMOs, CRISPR Cas9 has also been effectively been used to modify crops and making them more fertile or to correct mutations in animals suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (I made a video about CRISPR/Cas9 editing a long time ago). Compared to previous gene editing tools CRISPR/Cas9 is much more specific, effective and very easy to use. Those are some of the reasons why Doudna & Charpentier were awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine this year!

[@tea4223]

Thanks for the info...👍

[@User9681e]

Still not much effective directly on humans because of immune response but for embro editing it's great

[@JoJo-px2um]

They won the Chemistry price

[@myramedicinewindkay813]

GMO food has no tadye & is not nourishing. It has no Spirit.To be such egomaniacs that they mess with animals, much less humans will create the downfall of what Hopi's call the 4th World. Lack of Gratitude to Creator & Greed caused the other 3 downfalls. When Corporations gained the status of "entity", began this powergrab. Man can't Create a Soul. The Biltaberger's want Soul-less slaves, without Conscience. Are you all do stupid you can't understand where all this GMO is leading us? Natural Law is all we need. Artificial, synthetic, plastic, goes against this. If someone gets a disease, that is a way of working off Karma, Cause & Effect. Man is not Creator. Period. The ERA of Thinking & Doing is about to crash. With the Poleshift, we will go back to the state of Nurturing, of just BEING.

[@michaelesposito2629]

I like how you’re ignoring any and all potential harmful possibilities. It’s all sunshine , rainbows, and GMO bunny rabbits in your world lol

[@ionseven]

_Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth._ "Meh that's just the great outdoors." _Sharks, by comparison, only kill about 4 people a year._ "I'm never going in the ocean ever again."

[@nezotours]

You are wrong, Homo Sapiens is the deadliest of all living beings on earth...

[@will9001asd]

Its why I don't go outside

[@guyonthecouch007]

Yea but not everyone spends the majority of their lives in the water.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Such a weird human trait... Some people sadly compared Covid-19 and Influeza the same way...

[@MrDanisve]

@Rolli Nia Not here in Norway, building code is so strict now not even a molecule of air can find its way into a home. Well unless you leave the door open at night with the lights on, but then you are begging for it. Since i moved into this place i dont think ive ever seen a mosquito inside. About 5 years. Spent a night in a tent this summer, got visited by billions of them. Got like 40 years worth of bites in just one evening.

[@watema3381]

Do this EVERYWHERE. PLEASE. _PLEASE!!!_ We _need_ this amazing technology in Africa. So many people die a year from Malaria alone.

[@danielhu6485]

@Thomas Chrombly that’s cause it doesn’t affect first-world countries as much lol. Kill millions of poor, no one bats an eye. Kill hundreds of wealthy, and people start panicking

[@danielhu6485]

@Vinny Yeh, well hopefully everything turns out well. It’s a risk, but the benefits outweighs the alternatives

[@tubester4567]

@@danielhu6485 Thats not true though. There are huge anti-malaria programs in Africa and worldwide run by western countries and world health organisations like WHO. Eradicating malaria is one of the biggest health initiatives in the world and has been for many years. Malaria is a problem in about 100 countries, but millions of visitors and tourists from safe countries are at risk too. Its a serious problem for everyone. Western scientists have been working on anti-malaria medicines for decades and vaccines. There are several drugs available to cure malaria for most people, and to protect you getting it. Rich westerners like Bill Gates has given 1 billion dollars for a malaria eradication program. Africa is at high risk because of the climate and many people live in poorer and rural areas with poor medical support and infrastructure . Most at risk are the very young, children, who can get sick and die quickly before getting access to medical treatment. Its just not true to say nobody cares, or nobody is working on it. Eradicating malaria is one of the biggest health initiatives in the world.

[@danielhu6485]

@@tubester4567 Ok I did exaggerate it a bit, but it's still undeniable that people react with greater care when tragedy happens in a first-world country, as compared to a third-world country

[@anustubhmishra]

i live in india and i got dengue last year.... IT IS NOT FUN. please bring it here ant other places that need it

[@greengenez2512]

And now malaria in Florida and Texas. SMH

[@Blazingfireball977]

Did anyone have their skin crawl when looking at all those Mosquitoes?

[@Matt0sh]

No

[@fkeita67]

no, my mind yes

[@lucasmeddison3018]

Nope

[@kogkita]

mine does and when i saw, it was just a centipede nothing unusual

[@shiv612.]

Me lol

[@eyadouri7111]

Now we have a malaria vaccine 🤣

[@ROBMCKISSOCK]

Can you imagine what the Psycho's in our government could do to us with this technology ?

[@jenjen9266]

Bill gates is behind it enough said!!

[@theexcaliburone5933]

It wouldn’t actually do much in humans cus each generation is so long, and cus we have so few children (comparatively). There’s be plenty of time to cure it

[@paradoxic1888]

Exactly, just look at where the funding is coming from. If humanity is this stupid to fall for the same tricks over and over again then we get what we deserve.

[@ROBMCKISSOCK]

Yeah, it's kind of sad. It's called normalcy bias@@paradoxic1888

[@brooklynPhyllis]

That’s what I say

[@gabrielmiraldo6006]

These GMO mosquitoes were tested in my hometown (Piracicaba - SP, Brazil). They were really helpful in terms of reduing the number of people having deseases related to Aedes Aegypti. Also, the city population noticed a great reduction in the number of this mosquito type.

[@User9681e]

Yeah hopefully the anti gmo people understand crisper is a tool that can be used both for good and bad take kitchen knife as an example helps cut food but can technically be used offensively But unlike a knife it's hard to use offensively at least till decent AI algs can predict and aid in design since everyone small gene change can have huge impact

[@samanthacalderon282]

Thank you for sharing! I was immediately concerned about the mosquitos being tested in other countries and possibly causing harm. I’m glad they were helpful!

[@User9681e]

@@samanthacalderon282 annihilation of parasitic mosquitos yay

[@ZackWolfMusic]

Hi from Salvador Brazil!

[@arnowisp6244]

@@samanthacalderon282 I wouldn't put bets on that. Sooner or later he'll realize that the benefits were just an illusion.

[@Vc1fxae]

I guess the sequel of 2020 has a new script.

[@shaymary5247]

And ppl look forward to 2021... 😳😳😳

[@alexisguerrero3105]

No reason to fear 2021

[@shaymary5247]

@@alexisguerrero3105 every reason to, actually! 😑

[@alexisguerrero3105]

@@shaymary5247 explain 🧐

[@shaymary5247]

@@alexisguerrero3105 need I say more after this?: Since 9/11, USA went downhill. In 2012, the earth went thru an odd shift; more darkness occured after that (ie, birds suddenly dropping dead from the sky, illuminati leaked, odd sounds around the world, more UFO activity...). Now, here's 2020. The shit's hit the fan, but only the 1st portion. The tip of the iceberg has melted, & we're now being introduced to what's beneath! Imagine 2021. Bu then 2022 will also get worse. The saying, " It gets worse before it gets better" means that it'll take havoc to occur- complete chaos leading into order, just like the WW1 & esp, WW2 times but much worse... You'll see.

[@bettertvreceptionwithfoilf7100]

Bill Gates is responsible. Now we have malaria in Florida in 2023 and Texas as well. Two very strong republican-held voting States I might add.

[@thelegacyofgaming2928]

Lmao, this has nothing to do with Republicans. It has to do with someone wanting to control the population. Florida and Texas are large states with a lot of mosquito breeding ground, so it was the perfect target.

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

@@thelegacyofgaming2928 Maybe ! Someone recently said: "Reps . . . Dems - same difference like Pepsi & Coke (almost none)

[@charlesmrader]

Stupid comment. Malaria is caused by a microorganism, not a virus. Malaria is carried by a different genus of mosquito. The seven cases in Florida are in a county several hundred miles away the Florida keys. What has this to do with partisan politics?

[@Melissa0774]

I wish they'd do something like this to try and get rid of Lyme disease ticks.

[@1995pieter]

Good one!

[@AboxofMonsters]

These prob are engineered. This one also has an agenda.

[@unassumingaccount395]

@@AboxofMonsters An agenda of... getting rid of malaria? Wow so bad!!!

[@connor863]

Same. I hate mosquitoes and ticks!

[@howardbaxter2514]

@@AboxofMonsters didn't know getting rid of the deadliest disease in the world, of which kills millions of animals (not just humans) EVERY year was an "agenda". There is literally no plus side for malaria to exist, and it would actually be a favor to the entire world if humans eradicated it.

[@BDNeon]

Honestly I'm kinda amazed at the 30-50 percent figure from traditional methods, I had no idea it was so effective.

[@yashgadhavi6385]

Me too

[@robinseibel7540]

I'd be interested to see what effect such efforts have on bat populations. Bats are very effective mosquito neutralizers. Perhaps an effort to increase bat populations would be worthy.

[@adampyburn9201]

I thought the same thing about bats, but read that only about 2% of their diet is mosquitoes - apparently they mostly eat moths.

[@kmeadows100]

I'd be more concerned about those chemicals they are spraying everywhere than some GMO mosquitoes.

[@nickm.4143]

All I know is Florida didn't have malaria until just after they released those things.

[@warriorfromthedeepweb9301]

It's Florida lol...

[@mygirldarby]

A lot of people put down Florida, but it has some of the most beautiful beaches, especially on the Gulf side. It is like paradise in the Sarasota/Naples area.

[@Satisfyy]

How do you think my video ?

[@TheBaconEarBuccaneer]

@@mygirldarby i think its more to do with the people rather than the scenery

[@Greatlakeskyle.]

Good one..

[@ndrsg3013]

[Gates] got banned in South Africa release these mosquitos.... Research, all the birth anomalies it gave...

[@Souchirouu]

We genetically modify living things all the time just not in a controlled way. While doing it in a controlled way brings its own dangers I think that we can get good enough at this to make it significantly safer than just letting the semi-random way of nature do it. Eventually we want humanity to be able to control the entire ecosystem. We'll have to if we want to keep our planet habitable for humans. From removing disease spreaders like mosquitoes to improving plants to more efficiently grow or remove carbon from the air. It's just so ridiculous to me that we could effectively and ethically feed every single person on this planet but we don't. The even more silly thing is that we don't do this for short-term economical reasons even though in the long term having more of the world be a productive addition to humanity will be a huge boon for both humanity and the economy in the long term.

[@Shaden0040]

How can you control GMO animals released into the wild? They thought they could control non-GMO creatures like, fire ants, Africanized honey bees, Gypsy moths, a multitude of invasive plants (Kudzu) and fungi (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a type of chytrid fungus which has world wide infected over 500 amphibian species decimating their numbers in the wild, and White-nose syndrome (WNS) is the fungal disease killing bats in North America. Research indicates the fungus that causes WNS, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is likely exotic, introduced from Europe.)

[@arnowisp6244]

@@Shaden0040 You can't, I view the introduction of GMO animals no different from introducing invasive species. It's only pure human hubris that makes people like the OP here THINK we could control the ENTIRE ecosystem. As the saying goes, knowledge can puff one up.

[@aronseptianto8142]

@@arnowisp6244 ah yes, such hubris is farming, such hubris is domestication, such hubris is launching satellite to have world wide communication system do you see where your logic breaks down here? every technology we have was an untested technology in the past, the only reason we know it's a reliable technology is because we actually test the damn thing, not chicken out whenever a random protester try to linch you because you're trying to prove that the earth is not the center of universe

[@arnowisp6244]

@@aronseptianto8142 www.nationalgeographic.org/article/environmental-impacts-agricultural-modifications/ Don't let your own hubris puff you up from our damage.

[@aronseptianto8142]

@@arnowisp6244 this is the kind of agricultural modification we try to avoid we can make crops that use less pesticide, that survives in a quite dry place and uses less fertilizer if you read the article, that's the kind of issue genetically modifying crops try to solve I mean, what's the other option? let people starve?

[@terrotech718]

4:51 I literally flinched with my headphones on!

[@chriskenedy1305]

We learned about this sort of thing in class years ago. It's so exciting to see if finally going live.

[@chriss2295]

I’m sure this won’t have unforeseen consequences

[@nunyabidniz2868]

It's been decades, but in high school biology class I seem to remember learning that given a blood feast, female mosquitoes could lay female eggs; male mosquitoes mate w/ females and that leads to more male mosquitoes [and more females too.] So I don't understand what releasing sterile males does, except eliminate the male mosquito pollinators [male mosq's live off nectar, iirc.] Has mosquito biology changed that much since I was a kid?

[@dankthegank4315]

If I had money I’d bet that this is going to end badly...

[@candiedskull9841]

On they finally did that! I've been hearing about it here and there. Thank you for the video on it!

[@matthewkearney9044]

It would make me feel a lot more comfortable with this if it wasn't approved by this administration's EPA. The EPA is a shell of what is use to be.

[@boxr_4214]

well the alternative is not being approved by anything. also the current EPA is really just bad with climate policy (cos trump doesn’t listen to scientists), i still personally would trust them in this scenario, especially considering florida is a swing state.

[@matthewkearney9044]

@@boxr_4214 True, plus other agencies did sign off on it

[@aronseptianto8142]

it's a start, your government may not be what it used to be but they still play an important role you guys should make an effort to reform it, for sure but people still need to rely on it to a certain extent

[@FrogQueenie]

Interesting! Follow up video this year?? :D

[@3ngi_n33r]

The last time this was done in Florida, coof numbers shot up a few months later in fl. Crazy coincidence.

[@johnellis8401]

2020: at the end of the year I'm getting rid of all the mosquitoes Everyone going through 2020: but at what cost?!?

[@AndreiKohler]

I know that I don't know enough to make a dumb-ass comment if this is a good idea or not, but it is intriguing indeed.

[@WestOfEarth]

Given the choice between pesticides and modified mosquitos, I'll choose the latter. Pesticides are indiscriminate and can become concentrated in animals as it moves up the food chain.

[@nightcoredoze1303]

this has already been implemented in Singapore for about a year now and in January 2019, Aedes Mosquito population was down 80%. Have faith America.

[@TimesUhave2BA_radicalintellect]

Lmao i died when he counted florida as a trigger word.. because it really is

[@willieverusethis]

Those little ankle-biters just made it to my town this summer. I'd like to offer my back yard as a testing area for the GMO males!

[@adrianchristopherx]

"If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories, and crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but, uh, well, there it is." - Ian Malcolm

[@incognitotorpedo42]

We got rid of Smallpox. I hope we get rid of Aedes Aegypti.

[@vuk5576]

Yet so many species have went extinct.

[@cheea5]

They've done similar things like this before and it actually worked very well. Look into mosquitoes and Wolbachia.

[@xeros4000]

i think the point is not to reduce mosquito population, if im remembering correctly this is mostly for testing purposes for the next phase, which is mosqitos modified to not carry deadly disesaes. there is no need to fear gmo mosquitos, scientists have been researching and debating this for a really long time.

[@thelegacyofgaming2928]

How very wrong you turned out to be.

[@MaxS535]

@@thelegacyofgaming2928 Please elaborate

[@smellthel]

I heard of this years ago and ever expected them to actually consider it

[@Hyraethian]

I support these kinds of gene-drive experiments to reduce human suffering. I am very glad that risk assessment to the environment is a high priority. This isn't just our planet, we share it. Although, and I don't think i've ever said this before, I wouldn't mind sharing this planet with one less species. yaknow, if the ecosystems are flexible enough to handle that loss.

[@eushandageorge2554]

👋Here's a challenge, If you watch this and feel conviction give this comment a like 👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/noaQi6ppbp1qqtU

[@aggressivetourist1818]

One day, they would evolve quickly and occupy abandon underground metro.

[@Crocalu]

I misread the title as saying "Why Is Florida Man Releasing 750 Million Mosquitoes?" and was VERY intrigued for a second there

[@duckyboi9363]

Thank you for making this video, I have decided to base my first IWA (Individual Written Argument) for AP Seminar off of this topic. Idk why I just felt like putting it out there...

[@artsymamanana]

Now malaria is found. Hmmmm

[@charlesmrader]

Stupid comment. Malaria is not the same disease as any of dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever, all virus diseases while malaria is a microorganism, and the seven malaria cases in Florida were a few hundred miles away from where the GM mosquitoes were released.

[@heavencanceller1863]

Seeing genetics being used in such creative ways to counter problems is always so interesting

[@thelegacyofgaming2928]

How do you feel about it now...?

[@heavencanceller1863]

@@thelegacyofgaming2928 I don't live in Florida so I don't feel any different

[@lrn_news9171]

@@heavencanceller1863So, you need to be experiencing what's happening in Florida to have an opinion about it? lol

[@heavencanceller1863]

@@lrn_news9171 no, I need to know what's happening in Florida to have an opinion about it

[@methods5873]

I don't know but I have a feeling that this will seriously alter the balance of the swamp ecosystem.

[@annajas1098]

But what happens when GMO mosquito bites you…?

[@charlesmrader]

@@annajas1098 Well, I guess you grow wings and develop a taste for blood.

[@ushasuryawanshi1688]

Was waiting for this

[@Christian_Prepper]

*"Only females draw blood"* *Very important statement.*

[@Hhh-j8o]

@@oluwaremilekunbell6159 what's there to "get"?

[@thehammurabichode7994]

Men and women can be horrible though, let's get back to being unjustifyably terrified of all GMOs!

[@dhawthorne1634]

The mosquitoes have already spread to their max range. Can we please try to do something about the Spotted Lantern Fly first? My area is already infested but they are slow moving and could be stopped before making it to any more states.

[@charlesmrader]

You should recognize that applying Oxitec's science to other species is not just a decision for politicians and people commenting on KZbin. It takes research, extensive research, to learn important stuff about the genetics and biology of the targeted species. Oxitec has been working on a crop pest called the diamondback moth, with the first field trials now happening.

[@kiroooooooous7492]

Ayy seeker is back!

[@oldmech619]

I saw a friend of mine die from malaria on Christmas Day in Asia. Whatever scientist can do to reduce their presence should be greeted with the firm knowledge that it will save lives.

[@elizabethlockley5861]

Would you trust gat.es with your child

[@UserName-tb7vj]

You know this would actually be rally cool if it wasn’t 2020

[@decembersunita]

I think they should do this in India too. I'm fed up of using so much mosquito repellent chemicals. 😔 I hope it's a success. 👍🙏

[@TomarBoroDada]

Yes ... People just blindly hate on GMOs without any factual reason .... Hope they do this in India too ❤️

[@TheLirJEt86]

I always get super itchy when I watch this educational insect stuff.

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

contagious, huh . . .

[@thedondoeswhatever]

Everyone: it’s Florida what do you expect Me in Florida: man wtf what type of shit

[@morfy2581]

mutated mosquito apocalypse sounds like a nice event for the end of the year.

[@scottredding2719]

Those are billy boy gates too! They are filled with eugenics!!

[@lucasfc4587]

Lol, Bill Gates is the most famous billionaire that is also secretly devil himself trying to morph society, yeah, of course

[@scottredding2719]

@Red Matter so you're pro eugenics? Margret Sanger would be proud!!

[@lucasfc4587]

@Red Matter and now all pugs have respiratory issues... great!

[@Metacognition88]

Thanks. This high quality information was deluxe

[@markoposavec9240]

Sounds like a fairly reasonable plan. It should be better for the environment, no pesticides killing innocent bug species, no water contamination... The mosquitoes should not be affected long term because natural selection should eliminate these genes from the gene pool quickly. Hopefully there will not be any unforeseen long term effects.

[@BrianKenyon]

So what were the results from this so far?

[@thelegacyofgaming2928]

Malaria now

[@TheHadi545]

"Sometimes science is more art than science morty, lot of people don't get that"

[@Doping1234]

Oh wow, an actual discussion, I am impressed!

[@holyravioli5795]

Oh finally, I've been waiting for this for years.

[@MrWildbill]

I have been ok with GMO crops but I have to admit I am still a little worried doing in far more complex things like insects. The problem I see is that with mosquitoes there is no way to recall them as in the case of seed we can plow under the bad crop and we control the location and use of the seeds.

[@charlesmrader]

@MrWildbill that's exactly wrong. If the region stops releasing sterile male mosquitoes, the mosquito population recovers in a matter of a few weeks.

[@christinahartnett2316]

If Jurrasic Park taught us anything it's life will find a way.

[@paulfoss5385]

fyi to everyone, zombies are neither real nor possible. A horde of zombies coming from this is as likely as a gaggle of ghosts or brood of jabberwockies.

[@shaymary5247]

Research on flakka, the devil's drug that caused ppl to behave like violent zombies. Remember the news about the FL 'zombie' that kept eating a man raw. This zombie this is planned & ready. No, IDK about ACTUAL zombies, but zombified like ppl have & will cont to exist & manifest as long as any evil exists.

[@GiorgiLaluashvili]

nirvana song told us that 32 years ago With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now, entertain us I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now, entertain us A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido Yeah, hey

[@josiah42]

There's a really crucial detail missing from this video: This is a commercial product that's already been in use in the Caribbean for over a decade. Well tested means that we already know what is and is not going to happen. The only scary thing is how many people have still died in Africa due to malaria when we could have fixed it long ago for very minimal cost.

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

Always a great idea. What could go wrong?

[@FT86TT]

Place anyone that doesn't agree with the idea of releasing GMO mosquitoes, in a Florida swamp for couple days. They will change their mind really quick.

[@jewelhaines8842]

I lived in Tavernier Florida for 4 years. I loved it.

[@Pyriphlegeton]

Each year, millions of people die from mosquito transmitted diseases. Mostly in the poorest regions of this world. CRISPR/Cas would likely allow us to end that suffering completely. Yet people prioritize their own irrational fears over literal *millions of people dying.* Come on! We have the damn technology.

[@adamturner4619]

Who is scared of crispr

[@dg8620]

I can recall so many times man intervened with natural populations and created bigger problems than they started with. Rabbits in Australia, grey squirrels in UK, "cat island" etc. Has this ever worked successfully?

[@charlesmrader]

Yes.

[@charlesmrader]

Without minimizing the consequences of interactions that didn't work out, yes it has worked successfully. If you want an important example, try honey bees. America never had them. Now they benefit people, and many flowering plants.

[@HelamanGile]

The scariest word Florida almost gave me a heart attack

[@kingakitosanimations7960]

I'm glad they're doing the research to reduce the numbers. However, why couldn't they pick a better more annoying mosquito? The Asian Tiger Mosquito (aedes albopictus). They're all over the south and come summer you can't go two feet outside your door without being swarmed 😩

[@BootCampSpecimen]

154 OG mosquitos disliked this video

[@KidaleSmith]

That's a true statement. In humans too. 3:07

[@k1n1ami18]

lmao

[@asdfadfafsdfa]

Florida man bitten by mutant mosquitoes turns into floridzilla

[@maximilian_k.2453]

More then a year has gone by... did something change by now?

[@antonisusanto8148]

Life finds a way. -Dr. Malcolm

[@aleksandersuur9475]

Not always, extinction is a thing and can certainly be caused on purpose. Driving infectious diseases to extinction, that's an impressive goal to strive towards and it is possible, it has already been done couple times in human history. Couple more times and maybe humanity will gain more confidence in doing it. Imagine one day almost all human infectious diseases being eradicated, sounds like an utopia, but it is possible, just very difficult.

[@jitinkumar7742]

People: Finally vaccine for Covid is around the corner. *Florida:*

[@samreynolds3789]

And LOTS of PROBLEMS and ENDLESS More SHOTS!

[@Jimmyxsx]

1 month later: gmo mosquitos are turning into giant monsters🤣

[@damocles4744]

Is there an update on how it’s going?

[@axem.8338]

I thought humans were deadliest animals

[@MrHazardousMC]

You're right, sadly.

[@lunetist6]

@@MrHazardousMC humans by the way are second behind the mosquito, causing 475,000 deaths every year while mosquitos cause up to 1mil

[@axem.8338]

@@MrHazardousMC I feel bad for all other species who are losing a battle they dont even know they are fighting.

[@kenj4136]

Thats the real reason for eradicating the mosquitoes. Humans wont be outdone 😆. Anyways since we are responsible for a whole extinction event. I think we get the evolutionary high achievment award that most species can only dream of.

[@ezxy7714]

Watch parasyte maxim it’s really good.

[@thrivinganarchy5267]

If there's been years and years of testing with good caution, then I honestly think this is a good move considering this can save lives.

[@diegocampuzano5491]

Hey Seeker I got a question what happens to your body when taking a headache capsule everyday?

[@kellyj.azania4371]

If this ain't the making of killer SNL sketch, I don't know what is.

[@Babyshoes777]

If other creatures eat the mosquitos, will it negatively affect them?

[@charlesmrader]

Certainly not.

[@andreatelesforo8260]

I have personally been to the Florida Keys this past summer 5 times. All of my trips consisted in biking in areas where the mosquito population would be booming. Got 0 mosquito bites, and wore NO repellent. In comparison, in Miami, or the Everglades, I usually have to wear repellent and I always leave with bites. GMO MISSION SUCCESSFUL.

[@f.o.n.1244]

I cant imagine living in michigan without misquitos. It would be a dream though.

[@TheBanjoShowOfficial]

everybody gangsta until the mosquitoes evolve to ride the gators and smoke crack

[@otakuman706]

Huh... Is it just me or is Florida is looked at kinda like the USA's Australia...? 🤔

[@eushandageorge2554]

👋Here's a challenge, If you watch this and feel conviction give this comment a like 👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/noaQi6ppbp1qqtU

[@jackholman5008]

No

[@dragonrabbit7410]

i've been waiting for this to actually happen for years now. pesticides are bad news for people's health and this seems like it could really help the world rid itself of some diseases.

[@PoohCCat]

Well i hope Oxitec's plan is successful. I mean, i like the sound of their theory and experiments done on mosquitoes. Advanced technologies are amazing...

[@rohaanomar7003]

0:15 yup, Florida! People cassualy -robbing- pranking Wendy's with an alligator...