Organohalogen Contaminants and Mercury in Beluga Whale Tissues Banked by the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project

This National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) interagency report presents analytical data on beluga whale tissue samples (liver and blubber) collected and banked as part of the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project. Measurements of persistent organohalogenated compounds and mercury were made on the tissue of these animals. 

All specimens used in this study were collected and banked with funding support from the Minerals Management Service, U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division (USGS BRD), National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries ) Office of Protected Resources, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region, and NIST. The following individuals and organizations are acknowledged for their aid in the specimen collections and banking:

• Robert Suydam, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management
• Geoff Carroll, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
• Barbara Mahoney, Brad Smith and Matt Eagleton, NMFS Western Alaska Field Office
• Geoff York and Kristin Simak, USGS BRD
• the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee
• Barbara Porter and Lauren Rust, NIST Marine Environmental Specimen Bank

Funding support for the analyses was provided by the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region and the USGS BRD Alaska Science Center.