NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: contaminants, biology, beluga whale

Objective(s): The objectives of this study are to collect brain and blood samples from beluga whales harvested in the ISR for contaminant and brain analyses.

Project Description: This research licence was issued for application # 813. The objectives of this study are to collect brain and blood samples from beluga whales harvested in the ISR for contaminant and brain analyses. The researchers will establish whether a link exists between contaminant exposure and brain chemistry. This information is important for understanding whether contaminants are affecting beluga health. Transportation to the sampling sites will be via motorboats with outboard motors. The following equipment will be transported to the sampling sites: propane freezer, generator, tents, propane camping stove and autopsy saw. Sampling will be carried out at Hendrickson Island. The research team will travel to Hendrickson Island prior to or during the beluga harvest, with the assistance of a guide. A family staying at the camp will host the research team. Sampling will take place for four to six weeks at Hendrickson Island. Sampling will begin in late June or early July. Samples will be collected from thirty to fifty harvested beluga whales for this study. The tissue collection is a collaborative effort with Dr. Gary Stern of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Tissue samples will be stored in a propane freezer and will be transported to Tuktoyaktuk regularly for storage in a freezer until sampling is complete. A mentoring student selected for the FJMC mentoring program will participate in sampling. Research results will be directed to the NWT Environmental Contaminants Committee, in the form of a research report and a copy of the thesis and journal articles. Results will be presented to the Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik Hunting and Trapping Committees. A summary of the results will be sent to the HTCs. School presentations will be arranged if there is interest in the communities and the timing is possible. A research team composed of Lisa Loseto (DFO), Stephen Raverty (Animal Health Center) and Sonja Ostertag will be involved in fieldwork on Hendrickson Island this summer. The presence of a research team will lead to training and outreach opportunities during the fieldwork component of this project. This research team is very interested in providing opportunities for local youth to learn about beluga hunting (techniques, cultural significance) from experts in their community. Presentations of the research will take place in the school if possible and activities will be prepared for youth who travel to the island, with a focus on the scientific and cultural aspects of beluga whales. Although the student mentoring program is not officially happening this year, the researchers are working with the FJMC to recruit two or three students from the ISR for mentoring on Hendrickson Island this summer. Student mentoring provides educational benefits including training in sample collection, handling and storage. Sampling techniques and project objectives will also be discussed with local hunters, the whale monitor and other interested people. This training is valuable for individuals interested in becoming involved in scientific work carried out in the ISR. The mentoring student will be involved in fieldwork at the sampling site and will learn about the studies in detail. The objective of the FJMC mentoring program is to encourage and train students from the ISR in biological sciences for future work in the ISR. Fieldwork will be conducted from June 23 to August 08, 2008, at Hendrickson Island (69.N, 134.W).