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土著学生服务的学院和大学在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育和研究能力方面的改进。加强这些教育机会有助于增加获得STEM学位的土著人民人数，从而使美国STEM劳动力多样化。该项目题为“在华盛顿州Lummi Bay和Bellingham Bay的陆地-海洋界面识别微囊藻毒素”，通过对Lummi印第安人保留地周围海湾水质的调查，与这些结果相一致。进行该研究项目的团队由来自西北印度学院(NWIC)的高素质教职员工和STEM学生组成。微囊藻毒素是由一群被称为微囊藻属的蓝藻产生的，是美国西北部沿海水域公认的一种水污染威胁，对食用受污染贝类的人类和其他动物的健康构成相当大的风险。通过这项研究，NWIC的研究团队对海湾17个已确定地点的水质进行了系统监测，以1)勾勒出Lummi和Bellingham Bays中导致微囊藻毒素污染的途径，2)检测微囊藻的局部“热点”。3)确定可能正在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方方面面，并通过课程和实地工作建立他们的知识和技能，作为发展中的研究人员。将建立一个严格的监测系统，以便定期全面研究Lummi保留地周围的水域。海洋生态系统的潜在污染对鲁米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该地区的公民广泛分享。研究结果将有助于为资源管理决策和安全食用贝类提供指导方针。在美国西部沿海水域，有害藻华(HAB)污染海洋食物网的事件越来越多，预示着与贝类中氰毒素生物积累有关的严重健康和经济问题的出现。缺乏对华盛顿内陆水域的积极监测，尽管该地区近年来一再发生微囊藻毒素水平令人无法接受的事件。该项目通过为流入华盛顿州西海岸Lummi和Bellingham Bays的流域开发一个综合监测系统，以确定微囊藻毒素从淡水向海洋环境转移的来源和环境驱动因素，从而解决这一新出现的威胁。教职员工将与西北印度学院(NWIC)的原住民学生一起进行这项研究。每周将使用固相吸附毒素跟踪(SPPT)袋在17个预计涉及污染或面临污染风险的地点收集水样。样品将被分析，以使用液相色谱质谱(LCMS)测量毒素水平。温度、细胞计数和营养测量也将被记录下来。研究结果将对开发西海岸淡水和海洋环境的水质预测模型和资源管理计划具有价值。研究结果将通过发表在同行评议的期刊和社区论坛上广泛分享，研究人员和公民将可以访问数据。NWIC学生将通过在参与该项目期间完成的课程、实地工作和板凳工作获得进行研究的知识和技能，而学院将建设研究和课程能力。

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.