Humboldt Penguin Contaminants
The Humbuldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) of Punta San Juan (PSJ), Peru have been studied extensively by CMOL to understand their interaction with the PSJ ecosystem and Humboldt current system. Given their vulnerable status and proximity to mining areas, heavy metal contaminants are the current focus. Understanding heavy metal concentrations can reveal how many contaminants they gain from their environment. Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed using a managed care population to measure maternal offloading to the eggs, and the fractionation based on the different egg tissues. Specific metals tended to accumalate in certain parts of the egg based on the molecular structure.
Peruvian Pinnipeds
The pinnipeds of Punta San Juan (PSJ), Peru have been heavily studied in several different ways in an attempt to understand the trophic dynamics and cycling of the ecosystem. Studies have been conducted regarding aging of teeth samples, stable isotope analysis and concentrations of heavy metals in vibrissae, plasma, milk, teeth & bones, and levels of cytokines in plasma. Many of these analyses have been paired with the same tests in the expected prey items of the PSJ pinnipeds for trophics and origins of contaminants. Project Titles: Cytokine Profiles in Peruvian Pinnipeds and their Relationships with Environemental Stressors -Mykenzee Munaco
Dolphin Behavior
Over the years, CMOL students have worked with the Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) to better understand dolphin behavior. Current students are focusing on the bottlenose dolphin (Turaiops truncatus) population at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS). One project is focusing on how the mothers and calves exchange contact with each other, trying to identify patterns or individual preferences in initiations and body part usage. A second project is looking at the impact of a calf's presence on the whole of the group, focusing on how group behavior differs based on the amount and age of calves present.
Alaskan Wolf Environmental Interactions
The Alaskan gray wolves have recently been identified as a bridge between the marine and terrestrial ecosystems by preying upon sea otters and salmon. This interaction not only represents transfer of energy and nutrients from one ecosystem to another, but transfer of contaminants as well. This project is identifying contaminants in the gray wolves, through hair in their scat, that may have origins in land and sea. The analysis will include heavy metals, POPs, and stable isotopes to understand trophic interactions. Project title: "Heavy Metal Contaminants in the Coastal Gray Wolves of Southeast Alaska"
Alaskan Sea Otter Ecosystems
The Alaskan sea otter has three main stocks that are managed seaparately: the Southeast, South central, and Southwest (Aleutian Islands). Each of these groups underwent stable isotope and heavy metal analysis to identify different sources of contaminants and food. Each stock was distinct, and the widespread stock along the Aleutians can be further distinguished trophically upon more extensive analysis. The goal of this analysis is to gain an understanding of the contaminants in the region and their overall role in the Alaskan food web.
Baleen Whales
Analysis of contaminants in baleen whales has been conducted by grinding baleen plates of different whale species and creating a timeline of their migration patterns. Stable isotope analysis allows for approximate location to be determined, paired with a heavy metal analysis to determine what metals are coming from which region. Work is currently underway to determine POP concentrations in these plates.
Hawaiian Monk Seal
This project focuses on the endangered Hawaiian monk seal to identify contaminants it collects from the environment around the islands of Hawaii. The goal is to contribute to the conservation effort of these endemic species and help influence policy to protect these creatures and their ecosystem. Projects have focused on stable isotope analysis and heavy metal concentrations in populations from various parts of the main and northwest Hawaiian islands, showing differences in contaminant sources.
Sea Turtles
Assessing maternal transfer of stable isotopes and heavy metals of sea turtles that nest in Broward County. Assessment will be done by analysis of sea turtle egg shells and deceased hatchlings of loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles. Goal of the experiment will be to create a baseline of stable isotope and heavy metal load in hatchlings. It is hypothesized that due to the input of the mother sea turtle, stable isotope and heavy metal profiles should reflect the mother's diet. Analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes with heavy metals should provide information on mother's feeding habits. We are currently developing a study to compare green sea turtles between the Atlanticn and Pacific Ocean basins through the use of stable isotope analysis.
Manatee Population Dynamics
The monitoring of manatee populations in south florida is part of the manatee observation program CMOL runs for the Miami boatshow. This project utilizes both drone technology and human observers to record identifications and locations of manatees in the area, which can be used as a proxy for the number of manatees estimated to be in the local population. A further udnerstanding of where they are will help us understand the types of habitats these creatures tend to stay in.
Port Everglades Contaminants
This project is working to identify the kinds of contaminants, specifically heavy metals, that are present in the sediment of Port Everglades. The impending dredging of the port makes the knowledge of what may be stirred up and spread into the surrounding water very important. This is especially crucial after seeing the negative effects to reef environments after dredging occurred in Miami.
Global Sediment Heavy Metal Analysis
This project is a geochemical persepctive of what kinds and concentrations of heavy metals are present in sediments from around the globe. The goal is to compare these areas and link any commonalities of origin, such as volcanic eruption, glacial grinding, or continental crust weathering. The heavy metals present in sediments serves as a basis for what is going to be perpetuated and accumulated through the higher trophic levels of the ecosystem.
