An archaeological screen containing bones from multiple species of fish from an archaeological dig on the Bering Sea coast in 2014. Photo by Nicole Misarti.
Our project utilizes archaeological and historical collections to advance our understanding of changes in the dynamics of mercury accumulation in Arctic food webs.
Modern and archaeological bone samples retrieved from archived collections and new excavations will track mercury concentrations over 3 millennia.
We'll target three key species that are important to Alaskan coastal communities at the subsistence, cultural and commercial levels: Pacific cod, Northern fur seals, and Steller sea lions.
