Collaborative Research: Mercury Dynamics from the Holocene to the Anthropocene: Tracking Aleutian Mercury in Ocean Species important to Native Alaskan Diets

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Mercury is one of the top 10 contaminants of concern for human health. The global processes that concentrate mercury in the Polar regions make coastal Arctic communities especially vulnerable to the effects of mercury contamination. Pacific cod, Northern fur seals, and Steller sea lions are marine species important to Alaskan coastal communities. These species are critical for subsistence, cultural, and commercial purposes. Due to their vital roles as predator and prey in the Aleutian food web, these three species are considered Ecosystem Sentinels. This study provides new information about patterns and potential sources of mercury pre- and post-industrial revolution. It also has critical implications for Indigenous peoples’ traditional food ways and the economic well-being of communities in the Aleutian Region. Importantly, mercury contamination also has global economic implications for the region’s commercial cod fishery. The historical dynamics of mercury in top predators across the Aleutian Islands provides the basis for understanding contaminant progression across the Arctic. This research evaluates hypotheses regarding natural and anthropogenic sources of mercury contamination and the timing of that contamination over the past three millennia. This project uses modern, historical, and archaeological bone to examine changes in mercury concentrations and trophic position in these marine species over the last 3000 years in three Ecosystem Sentinels. This sampling method clarifies the timing and sources of mercury dynamics in the Aleutians. This project supports graduate and undergraduate students, including students from Native and Rural communities. Community outreach includes fixed and traveling museum exhibits developed for rural Alaska communities and education events for elementary, high school, and community members that increases science literacy in environmental contaminants and the health benefits of traditional foods.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.