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

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.<br/><br/>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.