Research Briefs

Research
Persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) in Puget Sound harbor seals and origin of the chemicals.

Species of concern: Harbor seals

Investigators: Steven Jeffries, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Science Division, Wildlife Program; Peter S. Ross, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada); and John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research.

Purpose of research: We have been studying the accumulation of toxic chemicals in the tissues of harbor seals in Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia, and the effects of these on the health of this wildlife species. Harbor seals are excellent sentinels of marine ecosystem health because of their high trophic level and accumulation of high concentrations of chemicals from the food chain. We have recently documented the temporal trends in levels of organoclorine pesticides, PCBs, dioxins and furans in harbor seals from south Puget Sound and have also demonstrated that these contaminants are adversely affecting vitamin A physiology in Puget Sound harbor seals (Simms et al., 2000), suggesting that the health of wild populations continues to be at risk from exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants. This research continues our efforts to monitor contaminants and contaminant-related toxicity in harbor seals as an integrative means of assessing the health of the Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia ecosystems. This research project includes: 1) analysis of harbor seal blubber for PCBs, dioxins, furans and pesticides; 2) contaminant analysis of two "food baskets" which represent harbor seal diet for contaminants; 3) analysis of harbor seal blubber and "food baskets" for fatty acid signatures and stable isotopes to characterize trophic level and feeding ecology; 4) links ongoing efforts to characterize the spatial differences and temporal trends in contaminant accumulation in harbor seals in British Columbia and Washington; and 5) integration of basin-wide contaminant issues as they relate to a wildlife species at the top of the food chain relative to international efforts to work on shared issues of water and ecosystem quality (Canada-US; BC-WA).

Geographic area: Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia.

Time frame: 2001-2002.

Joint partners: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada), Cascadia Research, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program, and Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team.

Funding: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program and Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team.

Are volunteers needed: No.