Identifying microcystin toxins at the land-sea interface in Lummi Bay and Bellingham Bay, Washington

部落学院和大学计划旨在支持为美国大量原住民学生提供服务的学院和大学的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）教育和研究能力的改善。加强这些教育机会有助于增加获得STEM学位的土著人的数量，从而使美国的STEM劳动力多样化。题为“在华盛顿Lummi湾和贝灵汉湾的陆海界面确定微囊藻毒素”的项目通过调查Lummi印第安人保留地周围海湾的水质，与这些结果保持一致。进行研究项目的团队由来自西北印度学院（NWIC）的高素质教师和STEM学生组成。微囊藻毒素，由一组被称为微囊藻属的蓝细菌产生，是美国西北部沿海沃茨公认的水污染威胁，对食用受污染贝类的人类和其它动物的健康构成相当大的风险。通过这项研究，NWIC的研究小组系统地监测了海湾中17个已确定地点的水质，以1）描绘导致Lummi和贝灵汉海湾微囊藻毒素污染的途径，2）检测微囊藻属的局部“热点”。在流入海湾的淡水支流中，以及3）确定可能影响毒素产生的环境条件。本地学生实习生将参与这项工作的各个方面，并通过课程和实地考察将建立自己的知识和技能，作为发展研究人员。将建立一个严格的监测系统，以便能够定期全面研究隆米保留地周围的沃茨。海洋生态系统的潜在污染对Lummi人和生活在西北沿海地区的更大社区来说是一个健康、经济和文化意义重大的问题。研究结果将与科学界和地区公民广泛分享。调查结果将是有价值的资源管理决策和指导方针的安全贝类consumption.The有害藻华（HABs）污染的海洋食物网在美国西部沿海沃茨的发生越来越多，预示着严重的健康和经济问题的上升，贝类中的氰毒素生物积累。对华盛顿内陆沃茨的积极监测是缺乏的，即使这一地区近年来一再经历了不可接受的微囊藻毒素水平的事件。该项目通过为流入华盛顿西海岸Lummi和贝灵汉海湾的流域开发一个综合监测系统来应对这一新出现的威胁，以确定微囊藻毒素从这些沃茨的淡水环境转移到海洋环境的来源和环境驱动因素。教师将与西北印第安学院（NWIC）的土著学生合作进行研究。每周将在预计涉及污染或有污染风险的17个地点使用固相吸附毒素追踪（SPATT）袋采集水样。将使用液相色谱质谱法（LCMS）分析样本以测量毒素水平。还将记录温度、细胞计数和营养测量结果。研究结果将是宝贵的，在制定水质预测模型和资源管理计划的西海岸淡水和海洋环境。研究结果将通过在同行评审的期刊和社区论坛上发表而广泛分享，研究人员和公民将可以获得数据。NWIC的学生将获得通过课程，实地考察和板凳工作，他们在从事这个项目完成进行研究的知识和技能，而学院将建立研究和课程能力。

The Tribal Colleges and University Program is designed to support improvements in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and research capacities of colleges and universities that serve significant numbers of Native students in the United States. Strengthening these educational opportunities serves to increase the number of Indigenous people attaining STEM degrees and thereby diversify the STEM workforce in the United States. The project titled "Identifying Microcystin Toxins at the Land-Sea Interface in Lummi Bay and Bellingham Bay, Washington", aligns with these outcomes through its investigation of the water quality in the bays surrounding the Lummi Indian Reservation. The team conducting the research project is comprised of highly qualified faculty members and STEM students from Northwest Indian College (NWIC). Microcystin toxins, produced by a group of cyanobacteria known as Microcysts spp., are a recognized water contamination threat in the coastal waters of the northwestern United States that pose considerable risks to the health of humans and other animals who eat contaminated shellfish. Through this research study, the research team from NWIC systematically monitor water quality at seventeen identified sites in the bays to 1) delineate the pathways leading to microsystin contamination in Lummi and Bellingham Bays, 2) detect local "hot spots" for Microcystis spp. in freshwater tributaries that feed into the bays, and 3) identify environmental conditions that may be influencing toxin production. Native student interns will be engaged in every aspect of this work and through coursework and fieldwork will build their knowledge and skills as developing researchers. A rigorous monitoring system will be developed to enable regular comprehensive study of the waters around the Lummi Reservation. The potential contamination of the marine ecosystem is an issue of health, economic, and cultural significance to the Lummi people and the larger community living in the northwest coastal region. Results of the study will be shared widely with the scientific community and area citizenry. Findings will be valuable in informing resource management decisions and guidelines for safe shellfish consumption.The increasing occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) contaminating the marine food web in the coastal waters of the western United States portends the rise of serious health and economic issues related to cyanotoxin bioaccumulation in shellfish. Active monitoring of Washington's inland waters is lacking even as this area has experienced repeated events of unacceptable microcystin toxin levels in recent years. This emerging threat is addressed in the project through the development of a comprehensive monitoring system for the watersheds that feed into Lummi and Bellingham Bays on Washington's western coast to identify the sources of and environmental drivers associated with microcystin transfer from freshwater to marine environments in those waters. Faculty members will work with Native students from Northwest Indian College (NWIC) in conducting the study. Weekly water samples will be collected using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) bags at seventeen sites predicted to be involved in or at risk for contamination. Samples will be analyzed to measure toxin levels using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). Temperature, cell count, and nutrient measurements will also be recorded. Findings will be valuable in developing water quality forecasting models and resource management plans for west coast freshwater and marine environments. Results will be shared widely through publication in peer-reviewed journals and community forums, and data will be accessible to researchers and citizens. NWIC students will gain knowledge and skills in conducting research through the courses, field work, and bench work they complete while engaged in this project, while the college will build research and curricular capacity.