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National marine mammal contaminant monitoring
National marine mammal contaminant monitoring
Problem Statement
Exposure to toxic chemical contaminants has been linked to various biological
effects in marine mammals and may contribute to unusual deaths and strandings,
as well as to poor health, in these animals.
Critical factors
- Toxic chemical contaminants such as PCBs and DDT are widespread,
lipophilic compounds (i.e., those having an affinity for lipids)
that are not easily metabolized by marine mammals.
- Such compounds can bioaccumulate in relatively high concentrations in
blubber and other lipid-rich tissues.
- Accumulation of contaminants may be influenced by life history parameters
(e.g., age, sex, recruitment order) of marine mammals.
- Few studies have assessed relationships between chemical contaminant
exposure and certain biological effects.
- There are limited baseline data on chemical contamination in certain
marine mammal species.
Status of research
Scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) are examining
links between chemical contaminant exposure in marine mammals and various
biological effects, strandings and unusual deaths. These studies
currently target those species at risk of stranding, species showing evidence
of population decline, as well as species that can serve as indicators of
marine habitat quality. NWFSC scientists are also involved in collaborative
studies to determine how contaminant exposure may affect the overall health
of marine mammals.
Research is also being undertaken to improve and expand analytical methods
that will provide high-quality data for evaluating temporal trends and
regional differences in contaminant accumulation, as well as for evaluating
how changes in feeding ecology (food habits) affect the accumulation and
physiological fate of toxic chemicals. In addition, scientists are
improving the dissemination of contaminant information to constituents
and resource managers through development and maintenance of an easily-accessible
national database.
Future considerations
Dead gray whale on the Pacific coast
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As the lead research facility for quality assurance and monitoring in NMFS'
Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, the NWFSC will collaborate
with the National Institutes of Science and Technology to improve the accuracy
of contaminant measurements made by federal, state, academic, and private
organizations around the county. Researchers at the Center will also develop
a diagnostic tool that can be used by re-source managers to determine unacceptable
levels of contamination in marine mammals, thereby protecting marine mammal
health and sustain viable population levels.
Key Players
Environmental Conservation (EC) Division, NWFSC
National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NMFS
Minerals Management Service, U.S. Department of Interior
National Institutes of Science and Technology
Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
Alaska Department of Wildlife Management
Cooperative Institute for Arctic Research (CIFAR), University of Alaska Fairbanks
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California
North Slope Borough, Alaska
Contact: Dr. Tracy Collier, Director, EC Division (206/860-3312)
Research Issue Paper EC 6504 (HQ ID 284/285/286)
Issue Papers Home
last modified 2002-07-29
Web site owner: Northwest Fisheries Science Center
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