Source: NORTHWEST INDIAN COLLEGE submitted to NRP
NEW DISCOVERY RESEARCH: PASSIVE MONITORING OF MARINE BIOTOXINS IN THE SALISH SEA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1013692
Grant No.
2017-38424-27079
Cumulative Award Amt.
$220,000.00
Proposal No.
2017-03935
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2017
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2019
Grant Year
2017
Program Code
[ZY]- Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program
Recipient Organization
NORTHWEST INDIAN COLLEGE
2522 KWINA ROAD
BELLINGHAM,WA 98226-9278
Performing Department
Salish Sea Research Center
Non Technical Summary
Many people rely on monitoring of algal toxins in shellfish before consumption for their health and safety. This includes the Lummi people who routinely test shellfish for algal toxins, through the state of Washington, and manage the shellfisheries accordingly. Increasing toxin monitoring by including harmful algae identification in the water column and passive-toxin tracking may (1) provide early evidence of toxin contamination in the water column before it reaches shellfish, and (2) decrease closure times due to toxigenic harmful algae by providing more data points and faster turn around time than is currently happening. We propose to test this by including harmful algal identification and passive toxin tracking in a weekly monitoring program to supplement current toxin monitoring of shellfish, and see if improved monitoring strategies will be beneficial to the health and safety of humans.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7120811115050%
7120811110350%
Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
0811 - Shellfish;

Field Of Science
1103 - Other microbiology; 1150 - Toxicology;
Goals / Objectives
Guided by the Land-Grant Mission and the Strategic Plan, a number of meetings were held with Lummi Natural Resources (LNR) to identify collaborative research priorities. One priority that emerged was addressing the serious concern of marine biotoxins and Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) in the Salish Sea.This project will work in tandem with LNR's current toxin monitoring, specifically testing the following questions: Does including passive toxin tracking increase toxin data resolution? Will toxins appear in the water column before they are detected in shellfish and crab?Project Goals and Objectives:Goal 1: Establish a toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration.Objective 1: Deploy a YSI Sonde EXO II water quality platform monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, Washington (Fig. 2).Objective 2: Provide publically available real-time data from the water quality platform.Objective 3: Train students and researchers on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection of water quality data, and laboratory preparation and analysis of toxins, water quality, and phytoplankton counts.Goal 2: Work closely with Lummi Natural Resources to monitor for toxins in shellfish with tandem testing of collected samples for calibration purposes, to increase the capacity of research conducted at the SSRC and NWICObjective 1: Increase capacity of the SSRC and the Land-Grant Mission through calibration of the LCMS between samples collected by LNR and tandem samples analyzed by UCSC.Goal 3: Increase capacity to conduct marine biotoxin research at NWIC via the purchase of materials related to the LCMS, and to begin training of researchers and student interns to operate the Shimadzu LCMS at the SSRC.Objective 1: Increase the skills of student and faculty researchers in the use of an LCMS to improve workplace skills.Goal 4: Increase indigenous scholars in STEM, specifically in the geosciences, through paid research internships for NWIC students.Objective 1: Support six NWIC students in paid internships for research.Objective 2: Increase awareness of NWIC Land-Grant research with Native K-12 youth in the NWIC service area.
Project Methods
Methods: Water quality platform. We will use a YSI Sonde EXO II for our water quality platform. This instrument collects continuous data for temperature, conductivity, pH, and chlorophyll fluorescence. These data will be uploaded in near-real time through a satellite modem connection. This instrument will be cleaned and maintained weekly. These data will be publically available on the SSRC website, where users will have the ability to graph water quality parameters. These data will also be downloaded into excel files for backup and analysis. SPATT will be hung next to the EXO for an integrated toxin sample, to be analyzed in the laboratory. One of the student academic year interns will be tasked with the upkeep and maintenance of this instrument, learning valuable skills in terms of analytical instrument maintenance.Field sampling. Weekly domoic acid, PST, DST, temperature, conductivity, chlorophyll-a, ammonium, urea, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and phytoplankton cell count data will be collected. Toxin data will be collected through the weekly deployment of SPATT bags (Lane et al. 2010; Kudela et al. 2011; MacKenzie 2010) with grab samples, which are snapshots of filtered water, for calibration. SPATT bags will be constructed and deployed according to Gibble and Kudela (2014), next to the EXO instrument. Temperature will be collected in the field with a thermometer for calibration of the EXO while all other non-toxin samples will be collected from whole water that will be processed in the laboratory. Field sampling will be completed by NWIC students, with PD or dedicated staff oversight to ensure quality collection of the data.Paralytic Shellfish Toxin measurements. PSTs will be analyzed following MaxSignal ® Saxitoxin (PSP) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) Test Kit Manual instructions (BIOO Scientific, USA). Samples will be read on a Molecular Devices SPECTRA MAX 340 PC plate reader @450 nm (BIOO Scientific 2015). The Saxitoxin (PSP) ELISA kit can be used for total, grab (filter), and SPATT samples. It has a method detection level (MDL) of 3 ng/g.Domoic acid measurements. Both grab (filters) and SPATT samples will be analyzed for domoic acid by LCMS with electrospray ionization with selected ion monitoring. This method follows Sison-Magus et al. (2016). This method has been analyzed previously on an Agilent 6100 LCMS, but will be analyzed on a Shimadzu 2120 LCMS which is comparable in quality and application to the Agilent 6100 series, and is the same instrument that is used for the shellfish toxin analysis by WDOH. Whole water will be mixed in a 1:1 ratio of water and 10% methanol (MeOH), sonicated using a sonic dismenbrator, and directly injected in the LCMS for total toxin quantification. For extraction from SPATT, bags will be rinsed with Milli-Q water and processed (Lane et al. 2010) with the following modification: SPATT bags will be cut open, the resin will be extracted out of bag without vortexing. Following the first 10 mL 50% MeOH extraction, a second extraction with 10 mL of 1 M ammonium acetate in 50% MeOH and a third extraction with 20 mL of 1 M ammonium acetate in 50% MeOH will be completed. The three extracts will be analyzed separately by LCMS and summed for total toxin (Lane et al. 2010). MDL will be determined during this project.Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxin measurements. SPATT samples will be prepared for DST analysis by extraction in MeOH (Villar-Gonzalez et al. 2008). Briefly, 1 g of homogenized mussel will be added to 9 mL of 100% MeOH, then vortexed on high for 3 min. The slurry will be homogenized for 1 min on high, then sonicated with an ultrasonic disrupter for 1 min at < 10 Watts, and then the sample will be centrifuged at 3800 rpm for 8 min. Supernatant will be removed, and placed in a fresh tube where the total volume will be brought up to 10 mL with 100% MeOH. Samples will be briefly vortexed to ensure mixing. An aliquot of 2.5 mL will be added to a fresh tube and 313 mL of 2.5 N sodium hydroxide will be added, then vortexed for 30 s. The mixture will be incubated at 76 °C for 40 min on a dry aluminum heating block. Once removed from heat and allowed to cool to room temperature, 313 mL of 2.5 N hydrochloric acid will be added, and the sample will be vortexed for 30 s. The pH will be adjusted to between 4 and 5 and the hydrolyzed extract will be filtered through a 0.2 mm nylon filter for analysis on the LCMS (Villar-Gonzalez et al. 2008).Calibration of toxin analysis. A subset of samples will be analyzed by LCMS at NWIC, and UCSC for calibration purposes. LNR will continue to send shellfish samples to WDOH and have samples run by NWIC for calibration purposes. While these are advanced chemical analytical skills, NWIC undergraduate interns have extensive laboratory coursework and have the basic pipetting and analysis skills necessary to prepare samples. Advanced students will participate in inter-lab calibration on the LCMS.Nutrient measurements. Whole water collected in the field will be processed for nutrient samples in the laboratory. Ammonium, urea, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate samples will be filtered with a 0.7 mm GF/F filter and stored frozen until analysis. Ammonium will be analyzed with the OPA method and measured by flurometer (Turner Designs; Holmes et al. 1999). Urea will be analyzed using a spectrophotometer (Carywin UV-VIS; Mulvenna and Savidge 1992). Nitrate, phosphate, and silicate will be analyzed using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods at UCSC, as part of the Land-Grant Partnership with Dr. Kudela.Cell Counts. Whole water for cell counts will be stored with Lugol's Acid at 4 °C (Stoecker et al. 1994) until enumeration using light microscopy, and autotrophic and heterotrophic phytoplankton will be characterized and recorded.Data Analysis. Data analysis will occur during all stages of this research and during a focused data analysis and write-up session planned between the 1994 PD and 1862 co-PD, to occur in year two of the project. During this time statistical analysis will be utilized to determine if the inclusion of SPATT is beneficial to determining early detection of toxins in shellfish. The adsorption kinetics of the resin for DSTs have been determined, and we will be able to directly measure the concentration of dissolved DSTs in the water column (Li et al. 2012).Efforts: Efforts include laboratory and field training for students and staff, as well as utilizing data sets for classroom instruction, targeted seminars, and presentations. This project will also provide outreach with local tribal schools and networks, and include new classroom materials for outreach efforts.Evaluation: The PD and the NWIC Director for Institutional Research & Assessment will lead an internal evaluation of the overall project and its effectiveness in achieving the project goal and objectives. These participants have received training and have prior experience using a Coast Salish evaluation framework to undertake in-house evaluations of grant-funded research.Evaluation Design. The evaluation will be completed using mixed methods based on an Indigenous Evaluation Framework (LaFrance and Nichols 2009) that NWIC has engaged with in prior project. This framework places evaluative questions, methods, and interpretation within a Coast Salish context and uses both quantitative and qualitative methods, including interviews, observations, document analysis, data analysis, and activity assessments.Data Collection. The evaluators will work with the PD and other project staff to create protocols and assessment tools that identify the degree to which: (1) the capacity for land grant research at NWIC has been enhanced, (2) Lummi Natural Resources and other community members are more aware of research and better equipped to identify harmful algae and their toxins, (3) NWIC students have been engaged in research and have developed scientific literacy.

Progress 09/01/17 to 12/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Our main target audience are the undergraduate tribal students at Northwest Indian College, Coast Salish subsistence harvesters, and recreational native and non-native harvesters, Lummi Natural Resources, and Native youth groups. Data from this project was being used by two undergraduate science classes, with a total of sixteen students. This project did joint wharf sampling with Lummi Natural Resources and we conversed with commercial, recreational, and subsistence Native and non-native shellfishers. This work was presented at the AGU meeting in December 2020 to scientists and resource managers. Changes/Problems:There have been repeated attempts to place the EXO Sonde at Gooseberry Point dock, which is still being repaired. Currently we are using it for our weekly samples, but not as a permanent 24-hour continuous sampler. That is still our plan, when the dock work is completed. We have analyzed samples for Domoic acid and microcystin toxins on both UCSC and NWIC's LCMS instruments with the 3-month NCE. This data is being analyzed for publication. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided numerous opportunities for professional development. Six researchers at NWIC have learned a multitude of water quality instruments, field and laboratory methods and analyses related to this project. The PI presented results from this project at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco, CA in December. This grant provided background data in anticipation for the PI to apply for another NIFA 1994 Land-Grant research grant in 2020 related to harmful algae and biotoxins in the Salish Sea. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to partner with Lummi Natural Resources to disseminate project updates to our communities of interest. We have also developed native curricula, including a 4-week lesson plan on harmful algae, phytoplankton, and food webs in the Salish Sea, which targets Lummi Nation School 3rd and 5th graders while partnering with Lummi Natural Resources outreach program to include cultural relevance of harmful algal blooms in the Salish Sea. To date the project results have been disseminated at regional and national conferences, and NIFA support has been acknowledged in those presentations. The PI has also given three public lectures at nearby Western Washington University on the data generated from this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Establish a toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration. A toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration has been established, and includes two sampling locations. Northwest Indian College continues to sample at our weekly water quality monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, WA, as proposed. Weekly samples include: biotoxins (domoic acid, microcystin, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and amnesic shellfish poisoning), temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water color, whole water for phytoplankton enumeration, net tow, SPATT, nutrients, and recently, mussels for biotoxin analysis. Final sampling protocol collects for 8 separate biotoxins. Four of the 8 toxins are being run on NWIC's or our land-grant UCSC partner's LC/MS, and the others are in storage until they can be analyzed. Weekly monitoring has also continued at Fairhaven Docks, in Fairhaven, WA. This includes the same weekly sampling regiment, and adds greater coverage for our oceanographic area, as Gooseberry Point is in Lummi Bay, WA, and Fairhaven Docks is in Bellingham Bay, WA. Our land-grant partner at University of California Santa Cruz participated in the design of our sampling program, as well as analysis of toxin and nutrient samples. These two water sampling platforms capture both the oceanographic influences into Bellingham Bay (Fairhaven Docks) and the largest freshwater input into Lummi Bay (Gooseberry Point). Objective 1: Deploy a YSI Sonde EXO II water quality platform monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, Washington. We are deploying a Sonde weekly to collect our data, we are in the process of negotiating the space for a permanent deployment of the EXO II water quality platform. The Gooseberry Point dock is still being rebuilt as it was damaged in recent storm events, we continue to sample weekly with the Sonde. When completed we expect to have a more permanent location for the EXO II Sonde water quality platform. Fairhaven Docks proved to not be a good alternative as there is too much public access. Objective 2: Provide publically available real-time data from the water quality platform. Currently we are providing data to Lummi Natural Resources and our partners in the Bellingham, WA area via email, and when the Sonde is in a permanent location will have a website similar to our land-grant partners at UCSC by the end of the project. Website goal: https://stormcentral.waterlog.com/SiteDetails.php?a=285&site=1436&pa=ABickel We are also now partnered with SoundToxins, and share our weekly sampling to similar projects throughout Washington and Oregon. Objective 3: Train students and researchers on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection of water quality data, and laboratory preparation and analysis of toxins, water quality, and phytoplankton counts. For this project, 15 undergraduate students and 6 researchers have been trained on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection, or laboratory analyses. During this reporting period 2 students worked on this project. All student interns in the Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College are trained in field collection and laboratory analyses related to this project. Furthermore, two students are using the collected data directly to address senior thesis projects. Ecology classes at Northwest Indian College also use the Sonde, data, and sampling locations for classwork. Eleven students have been trained on laboratory analysis of toxins during this time period, as part of their chemistry class. Goal 2: Work closely with Lummi Natural Resources to monitor for toxins in shellfish with tandem testing of collected samples for calibration purposes, to increase the capacity of research conducted at the SSRC and NWIC. Objective 1: Increase capacity of the SSRC and the Land-Grant Mission through calibration of the LCMS between samples collected by LNR and tandem samples analyzed by UCSC. We continue our partnership with LNR, and two researchers at LNR routinely participate in weekly sampling, and have tandem mussels hanging at our weekly sampling location at Gooseberry Point, which they send to the state of Washington for toxin analyses, and which duplicates NWIC's own mussel sampling. LNR has access to the data collected by NWIC, and uses it to make management decisions about shellfish closures for Lummi Nation. Goal 3: Increase capacity to conduct marine biotoxin research at NWIC via the purchase of materials related to the LCMS, and to begin training of researchers and student interns to operate the Shimadzu LCMS at the SSRC. Objective 1: Increase the skills of student and faculty researchers in the use of an LCMS to improve workplace skills. NWIC has purchased a new LCMS-MS for biotoxin analyses, and tests for microcystin and domoic acid at NWIC. Currently our land-grant partner UCSC is analyzing biotoxin samples for other biotoxins. Goal 4: Increase indigenous scholars in STEM, specifically in the geosciences, through paid research internships for NWIC students. Objective 1: Support six NWIC students in paid internships for research. During this reporting period (August - December 2019) no students were paid directly. In total, 8 interns have been paid from this grant. One student used data from this project to complete his capstone thesis. Objective 2: Increase awareness of NWIC Land-Grant research with Native K-12 youth in the NWIC service area. Elements of this project, such as biotoxins, water quality, food webs and phytoplankton, and harmful algae blooms were incorporated into multiple science outreach events with 3rd graders from Lummi Nation School. An instructional primer for the third graders was completed and has been used to facilitate active engagement with Native youth through other projects, including Quileute Tribal School and Everson Elementary.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Algal Bloom Modeling and Prediction in Bellingham Bay


Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is for tribal undergraduate students at Northwest Indian College, Pacific Northwest Tribal sustenance and recreational shellfish harvesters, Lummi Natural Resources, and Native youth groups. This project has directly employed six student interns and formed a collaboration with Lummi Natural Resources so that joint sampling at multiple wharves for shellfish biotoxin and environmental data is shared. We routinely converse with commercial, recreational, and subsistence Native and non-Native shellfishers conducting water quality or shellfish harvesting related to this project. This work has also already been presented at local, regional, national, and international conferences to the scientific community. Changes/Problems:Continuing from last year, due to storm damage, the dock at Gooseberry Point, our original water station instrumentation placement is being repaired. As such we do not have the EXO Sonde in the water continuously, but use it to take our weekly samples. We are working with the Gooseberry Point dock and other local dock owners to find a temporary home while the dock is being repaired. Due to instrument down time at both NWIC and UCSC, we have not completed analyses of biotoxin samples and have asked and been approved for a 3-month NCE to complete this work. We anticipate finishing this project by December 2019. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided numerous opportunities for professional development. Six researchers at NWIC have learned a multitude of water quality instruments, field and laboratory methods and analyses related to this project. Three researchers have presented work from this project at local and national conferences in both oral and poster formats. One researcher has participated in a harmful algae identification workshop and training this reporting period at Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography. Two students have presented work related to this project at regional and national conferences during this reporting period. This grant provided background data in anticipation for the PI to apply for another NIFA 1994 Land-Grant research grant in 2019, related to harmful algae and biotoxins in the Salish Sea. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to partner with Lummi Natural Resources to disseminate project updates to our communities of interest. We have also developed native curricula, including a 4-week lesson plan on harmful algae, phytoplankton, and food webs in the Salish Sea, which targets Lummi Nation School 3rd and 5th graders while partnering with Lummi Natural Resources outreach program to include cultural relevance of harmful algal blooms in the Salish Sea. To date the project results have been disseminated at regional and national conferences, and NIFA support has been acknowledged in those presentations. The PI has also given three public lectures at nearby Western Washington University on the data generated from this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period weekly sampling at our two stations will continue, data will be analyzed, and the results reported to communities of interest and the public and scientific community through presentation at conferences. We will continue to work closely with our land-grant partner (UCSC) to process, analyze, and report the data that we produce.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Establish a toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration. A toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration has been established, and includes two sampling locations. Northwest Indian College has continued to sample at our weekly water quality monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, WA, as proposed. Weekly samples include: biotoxins (domoic acid, microcystin, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and amnesic shellfish poisoning), temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water color, whole water for phytoplankton enumeration, net tow, SPATT, nutrients, and recently, mussels for biotoxin analysis. Sampling this year has expanded to include other marine toxins, such as Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins and Azasparacid Toxins. Methods for these toxins are being developed. Weekly monitoring has also continued at Fairhaven Docks, in Fairhaven, WA. This includes the same weekly sampling regiment, and adds greater coverage for our oceanographic area, as Gooseberry Point is in Lummi Bay, WA, and Fairhaven Docks is in Bellingham Bay, WA. Our land-grant partner at University of California Santa Cruz is participating in design of our sampling program, as well as analysis of toxin and nutrient samples. These two water sampling platforms capture both the oceanographic influences into Bellingham Bay (Fairhaven Docks) and the largest freshwater input into Lummi Bay (Gooseberry Point). Objective 1: Deploy a YSI Sonde EXO II water quality platform monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, Washington. We are deploying a Sonde weekly to collect our data, we are in the process of negotiating the space for a permanent deployment of the EXO II water quality platform. The Gooseberry Point dock is still being rebuilt as it was damaged in recent storm events, we continue to sample weekly with the Sonde. When completed we expect to have a more permanent location for the EXO II Sonde water quality platform. Fairhaven Docks proved to not be a good alternative as there is too much public access. Objective 2: Provide publically available real-time data from the water quality platform. Currently we are providing data to Lummi Natural Resources and our partners in the Bellingham, WA area via email, and when the Sonde is in a permanent location will have a website similar to our land-grant partners at UCSC by the end of the project. Website goal: https://stormcentral.waterlog.com/SiteDetails.php?a=285&site=1436&pa=ABickel Objective 3: Train students and researchers on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection of water quality data, and laboratory preparation and analysis of toxins, water quality, and phytoplankton counts. For this project, 15 undergraduate students and 6 researchers have been trained on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection, or laboratory analyses. Four students were paid as student interns directly from this project during this reporting period and all student interns in the Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College are trained in field collection and laboratory analyses related to this project. Furthermore, two students are using the collected data directly to address senior thesis projects. Ecology classes at Northwest Indian College also use the Sonde, data, and sampling locations for classwork. Goal 2: Work closely with Lummi Natural Resources to monitor for toxins in shellfish with tandem testing of collected samples for calibration purposes, to increase the capacity of research conducted at the SSRC and NWIC. Objective 1: Increase capacity of the SSRC and the Land-Grant Mission through calibration of the LCMS between samples collected by LNR and tandem samples analyzed by UCSC. We continue our partnership with LNR, and two researchers at LNR routinely participate in weekly sampling, and have tandem mussels hanging at our weekly sampling location at Gooseberry Point, which they send to the state of Washington for toxin analyses, and which duplicates NWIC's own mussel sampling. LNR and NWIC participated in a tandem mussel collection study with the state of Washington to determine accuracy of methods for biotoxis in mussels in March - June 2019. LNR has access to the data collected by NWIC, and uses it to make management decisions about shellfish closures for Lummi Nation. Goal 3: Increase capacity to conduct marine biotoxin research at NWIC via the purchase of materials related to the LCMS, and to begin training of researchers and student interns to operate the Shimadzu LCMS at the SSRC. Objective 1: Increase the skills of student and faculty researchers in the use of an LCMS to improve workplace skills. NWIC has purchased a new LCMS-MS for biotoxin analyses, and is in method development stage for biotoxin samples. Currently our land-grant partner UCSC is analyzing biotoxin samples. Goal 4: Increase indigenous scholars in STEM, specifically in the geosciences, through paid research internships for NWIC students. Objective 1: Support six NWIC students in paid internships for research. Eight student interns have been paid for their research, including two summer interns this reporting period and two year-round interns. The summer interns are using the data and methods from their project to complete their senior thesis capstones, and will be presenting at national and local conferences. Objective 2: Increase awareness of NWIC Land-Grant research with Native K-12 youth in the NWIC service area. Elements of this project, such as biotoxins, water quality, food webs and phytoplankton, and harmful algae blooms were incorporated into multiple science outreach events with 3rd graders from Lummi Nation School. An instructional primer for the third graders was completed and has been used to facilitate active engagement with Native youth through other projects, including Quileute Tribal School and Everson Elementary.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Arbuckle, T., Palacios, S., and M. Peacock. 2018. Bloom Modeling Prediction of the harmful algae Alexandrium in Bellingham Bay, Washington. Murdock Conference, Vancouver Washington.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Peacock, M., R. Arnold. 2019. Collaborative Research With our Tribal Partners. Starting at the Proposal Stage. ASLO Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Arbuckle, T., Palacios, S., and M. Peacock. 2019. Bloom Modeling Prediction of chlorophyll in Bellingham Bay, Washington. REU internship Symposium, Anacortes, WA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Arbuckle, T., Palacios, S., and M. Peacock. 2019. Bloom Modeling Prediction of chlorophyll in Bellingham Bay, Washington. SACNAS conference, Honolulu, HI.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Peacock, M. and R.M. Hunter. 2019. Microcystin Toxins in Bellingham and Lummi Bays, WA, USA. AGU Conference, San Francisco, CA.


Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is for Northwest Indian College undergraduate students, Lummi sustenance and recreational shellfish harvesters, Lummi Natural Resources, and Native youth groups. This project has directly employed four student interns and formed a collaboration with Lummi Natural Resources so that joint sampling at multiple wharves for shellfish biotoxin and environmental data is shared. We routinely converse with commercial, recreational, and subsistence Native and non-Native shellfishers conducting water quality or shellfish harvesting related to this project. This work has also already been presented at local, regional, national, and international conferences to the scientific community. Changes/Problems:Due to storm damage, the dock at Gooseberry Point, our original water station instrumentation placement is being repaired. As such we do not have the EXO Sonde in the water continuously, but use it to take our weekly samples. We are working with the Gooseberry Point dock and other local dock owners to find a temporary home while the dock is being repaired. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided numerous opportunities for professional development. Three researchers at NWIC have learned a multitude of water quality instruments, field and laboratory methods and analyses related to this project. Two researchers have presented work from this project at local and national conferences in both oral and poster formats. One researcher has participated in a harmful algae identification workshop and training. Three students have presented work related to this project at regional and national conferences. One student who conducted field work on this project has been hired on as a fisheries technician at Lummi Natural Resources. This grant provided background data for the PI to apply for another NIFA 1994 Land-Grant research grant, which was awarded in 2018, related to harmful algae and biotoxins in the Salish Sea. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have partnered with Lummi Natural Resources to disseminate project updates to our communities of interest. We have also developed native curricula, including a 4-week lesson plan on harmful algae, phytoplankton, and food webs in the Salish Sea, which targets Lummi Nation School 3rd and 5th graders while partnering with Lummi Natural Resources outreach program to include cultural relevance of harmful algal blooms in the Salish Sea. To date the project results have been disseminated at regional and national conferences, and NIFA support has been acknowledged in those presentations. The PI has also given two public lectures at nearby Western Washington University on the data generated from this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period weekly sampling at our two stations will continue, data will be analyzed, and the results reported to communities of interest and the public and scientific community through presentation at conferences. We will continue to work with the dock facility at Gooseberry Point to set up our permanent water quality station. We will continue to work closely with our land-grant partner (UCSC) to process, analyze, and report the data that we produce.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Establish a toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration. A toxin sampling program using a water quality platform, SPATT, and phytoplankton enumeration has been established, and includes two sampling locations. Northwest Indian College has established a weekly water quality monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, WA, as proposed. Weekly samples include: biotoxins (domoic acid, microcystin, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and amnesic shellfish poisoning), temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water color, whole water for phytoplankton enumeration, net tow, SPATT, nutrients, and recently, mussels for biotoxin analysis. Secondarily, another weekly monitoring station was set up at Fairhaven Docks, in Fairhaven, WA. This includes the same weekly sampling regiment, and adds greater coverage for our oceanographic area, as Gooseberry Point is in Lummi Bay, WA, and Fairhaven Docks is in Bellingham Bay, WA. Our land-grant partner at University of California Santa Cruz is participating in design of our sampling program, as well as analysis of toxin and nutrient samples. Objective 1: Deploy a YSI Sonde EXO II water quality platform monitoring station at Gooseberry Point, Lummi Nation, Washington. We are deploying a Sonde weekly to collect our data, we are in the process of negotiating the space for a permanent deployment of the EXO II water quality platform. Currently, the Gooseberry Point dock is being rebuilt as it was damaged in recent storm events. When completed we expect to have a more permanent location for the EXO II Sonde water quality platform. We are also negotiating with Fairhaven Docks as an alternative while waiting for the completion of the construction at Gooseberry Point. Objective 2: Provide publically available real-time data from the water quality platform. Currently we are providing data to Lummi Natural Resources and our partners in the Bellingham, WA area via email, but aim to have a website similar to our land-grant partners at UCSC by the end of the project. Website goal: https://stormcentral.waterlog.com/SiteDetails.php?a=285&site=1436&pa=ABickel Objective 3: Train students and researchers on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection of water quality data, and laboratory preparation and analysis of toxins, water quality, and phytoplankton counts. In the last year, 10 undergraduate students and 4 researchers have been trained on instrument deployment and maintenance, field collection, or laboratory analyses. Four students were paid as student interns directly from this project, and all student interns in the Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College are trained in field collection and laboratory analyses related to this project. Furthermore, two students are using the collected data directly to address senior thesis projects. Goal 2: Work closely with Lummi Natural Resources to monitor for toxins in shellfish with tandem testing of collected samples for calibration purposes, to increase the capacity of research conducted at the SSRC and NWIC. Objective 1: Increase capacity of the SSRC and the Land-Grant Mission through calibration of the LCMS between samples collected by LNR and tandem samples analyzed by UCSC. Two researchers at LNR routinely participate in weekly sampling, and have tandem mussels hanging at our weekly sampling location at Gooseberry Point, which they send to the state of Washington for toxin analyses, and which duplicates NWIC's own mussel sampling. LNR will begin giving regular, duplicate samples to NWIC to analyze for biotoxins in February 2019. LNR has access to the data collected by NWIC, and uses it to make management decisions about shellfish closures for Lummi Nation. Goal 3: Increase capacity to conduct marine biotoxin research at NWIC via the purchase of materials related to the LCMS, and to begin training of researchers and student interns to operate the Shimadzu LCMS at the SSRC. Objective 1: Increase the skills of student and faculty researchers in the use of an LCMS to improve workplace skills. The Shimadzu LCMS at NWIC is as of now, non-functional. NWIC has purchased a new LCMS, to be delivered and operational by January 2019. This includes training events on biotoxins and use of the new instrument. Currently, NWIC's land-grant partner (UCSC) is providing sample analyses by LCMS. Goal 4: Increase indigenous scholars in STEM, specifically in the geosciences, through paid research internships for NWIC students. Objective 1: Support six NWIC students in paid internships for research. Four student interns have been paid for their research, including two summer interns and two year-round interns. The summer interns are using the data and methods from their project to complete their senior thesis capstones. Objective 2: Increase awareness of NWIC Land-Grant research with Native K-12 youth in the NWIC service area. Elements of this project, such as biotoxins, water quality, food webs and phytoplankton, and harmful algae blooms were incorporated into two science outreach events with 3rd graders from Lummi Nation School. An instructional primer for the third graders was completed and has been used to facilitate active engagement with Native youth through other projects, including Quileute Tribal School and Everson Elementary.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hall, R. Hunter, R, and M. Peacock. 2018. What is Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning? Northwest Indian College Intern Symposium, August 18, Bellingham, WA (Poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Peacock, M. and T. Yazzie. 2018. Engaging Northwest Indian College Students and the Tribal Community in Marine Outreach. Ocean Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hunter, R. and M. Peacock. 2018. Red Tide and The Coast Salish Peoples. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Seattle, WA. (Poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hunter, R. and M. Peacock. 2017. Harmful Algal Blooms and Cultural Ties. US Harmful Algae Conference, Baltimore, MD. (Poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Peacock, M., R. Hunter, and M. Hatch. 2018. Distribution of Paralytic Shellfish in Whole and Partial Butter Clams in Comparison to Traditional Preparation Methods. 2018. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Seattle, WA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Peacock, M., R. Hunter, and M. Hatch. 2018. Traditional preparation methods to examine the distribution of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in whole and partial butter clams. International Harmful Algal Conference. Nantes, France. (Poster, speed talk)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hunter, R. and M. Peacock. 2018. Red Tide, Passed Down Through the Generations. ASLO Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Yazzie, Ta, J Morales, R Hunter, M Peacock. 2017. Producing and Practicing Precise Protocols to Study Harmful Algal Blooms in the Salish Sea. NWIC Intern Symposia, August 17, Bellingham, WA.