November 18th
7:00 pm
Gina Ylitalo was one of the scientists analyzing the body of the orca, CA 189 that stranded near Dungeness spit in 2002 and whose skeleton PTMSC will display in its new Ocean Science Hall. That orca's blubber contained a level of contaminants that was among the highest - if not the highest - ever measured in orcas.
Ms. Ylitalo will present information on contemporary levels of POPs, including the polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, measured in Southern Resident killer whales and other North Pacific killer whale populations. Concentrations of these contaminants will be examined based on life history factors, geographic range and diet. The concentrations of POPs in the killer whales will be compared to levels in other species of marine mammals from the North Pacific.
Ms. Ylitalo has worked for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center since 1989. Her current interests include establishing links between exposure to chemical contaminants and potential health effects on marine mammals and fish. She also works on methods for analyzing new contaminants in marine resources.
