Development of a Model for Trophic Transfer and Wildlife Health Impacts of Algal Toxins in Arctic/Subarctic Food Webs
This project studies how toxins from algal blooms move through Arctic food webs and harm wildlife in Alaska.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (NOAA RAP opportunity)
Funding Amounts: Base stipend approximately $71,000 plus $3,000 travel allowance; stipend increases with experience; typical award duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral and senior researchers to develop models of trophic transfer and wildlife health impacts of harmful algal bloom toxins in Arctic/Subarctic marine food webs, focusing on Alaskan ecosystems.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-U.S. citizens; requires contacting research adviser prior to application; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
This NRC Research Associateship Program (RAP) opportunity, hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA, focuses on the development of models to understand the trophic transfer and health impacts of harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins in Arctic and Subarctic marine food webs, particularly in Alaskan waters.
Harmful algal blooms produce toxins such as domoic acid (DA) from Pseudo-nitzschia species and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) from Alexandrium species. These toxins accumulate in marine organisms and pose risks to human health through seafood consumption and to marine wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. While some trophic transfer pathways are known, critical gaps remain in understanding the relationships between algal cell densities, toxin accumulation in vector species, and toxin loads causing illness or mortality in marine wildlife.
The project aims to:
- Quantify toxic algal cell densities of Pseudo-nitzschia and Alexandrium.
- Measure corresponding toxin concentrations (DA and PSTs/STXs) across phytoplankton, zooplankton, shellfish, finfish, and marine mammals.
- Define trophic transfer pathways through stomach content analyses.
- Document health impacts on marine mammals and fish using behavioral observations and pathology of stranded animals.
- Develop predictive toxin-trophic transfer models for algal toxin accumulation and wildlife health impacts under various bloom scenarios.
The research covers oceanic waters bordering Alaska, including the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Bering Sea, and Gulf of Alaska, with sample collection from multiple cruises and community-based monitoring involving Alaska Native Villages. Marine mammal samples will be sourced from stranding networks and subsistence harvests.
This specific RAP opportunity is for a modeler to accomplish Objective #5: using environmental and observational data to develop and validate models predicting toxin accumulation and wildlife mortality events.
Keywords
Harmful Algal Blooms, Alaska, Marine Mammals, Toxin Exposure, Ecosystem Health, Arctic/Subarctic Food Webs, Trophic Transfer, Wildlife Health
