January 31, 2024
“Mercury concentrations in adult female fur seals from the Pribilof Islands", a poster presented by Orlin Gologergen, was awarded the esteemed top poster award at the 2024 Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Orlin is an undergraduate BLaST Scholar with METAL. Under the mentorship of Lorrie Rea (Metal PI) and backed by sponsorship from BLaST, Orlin showcased his undergraduate research during the January symposium in Anchorage.
In a previous year with BLaST and METAL, Orlin examined mercury concentrations and stable isotopes in legally-harvested bowhead whale skin.
Orlin will continue his work with METAL this coming summer and during his senior year at UAF focusing on additional measures of mercury in tissues from northern fur seals. He will also be working on a community outreach project (BRAIDED) assisting in training residents of the Pribilof Islands to evaluate their own subsistence foods’ mercury content on site.
