Sitka Tribe of Alaska Environmental Research Lab
Sovereignty Through Science
Traditional Ecological Knowledge has helped our people manage subsistence resources and monitor risks inherent in consuming our native foods since time immemorial, but climate change has put the safe consumption and future of marine subsistence resources at risk. Warming waters along the Pacific Northwest coast are conducive to the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce dangerous biotoxins. The State of Alaska provides required paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) testing for commercially harvested shellfish, but is one of the few coastal states that do not certify beaches as safe for the recreational or subsistence harvest of shellfish. As a result, Alaskans continue to experience shellfish poisoning. A 2022 Alaska epidemiology report found that between 1993 and 2021, there were 132 reports of shellfish poisoning in Alaska, including five that were fatal.
In 2016, Sitka Tribe of Alaska created its Environmental Research Laboratory (STAERL) to support the SEATOR network, a coalition of Alaska tribes that monitor natural resources in their traditional territories. STAERL provides timely, affordable testing of marine subsistence resources (fish/shellfish) to reduce risks of consumption, facilitates monitoring for harmful algal blooms (HABs), conducts continuous ocean acidification (OA) monitoring, and provides science education opportunities for Tribal youth. STAERL was recognized as an outstanding example of Tribal governance by the Harvard Honoring Nations program in 2021. Â
STAERL, SEATOR Network Testing, and Data
The Sitka Tribe of Alaska Environmental Research Laboratory (STAERL) was developed in 2016 to promptly analyze shellfish samples collected through the Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research collaborative (SEATOR) for biotoxins using the Receptor Binding Assay (AOAC method 2011.27), a method developed by National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS).Â
Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST) results are immediately communicated to SEATOR partners via a listserv, and advisories are posted on the SEATOR website, allowing community members to make informed, real-time risk assessments before harvesting. This is the only monitoring program in Alaska that serves subsistence and recreation harvesters.
Since the start of our PSP monitoring program, there has not been a single reported case of PSP illnesses at any of the 52 sites monitored by SEATOR, even with lethal levels of toxins being recorded from multiple locations.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, STAERL analyzed more than 800 shellfish samples from SEATOR partners per year, and typically generated results within two business days of receiving samples. The lab is recovering from pandemic-related supply chain issues and hopes to return to its previous capacity for testing this year. STAERL now has the ability to test for two new emerging shellfish toxins: diarrhetic shellfish poisoning and amnesic shellfish poisoning, and hopes to be able to offer testing for mercury in subsistence foods soon.
Shellfish Testing in Sitka
Subsistence shellfish harvesters may bring or send samples to STAERL for testing. Shellfish testing is free for residents of Sitka. For others, Each test costs $75 (cash or check accepted). STAERL staff recommend you test each species you plan to consume separately, as toxin levels can vary significantly.
The testing procedure starts when you’re harvesting. Check out this video for instructions! Make sure you collect extra shellfish of each species and in each distinct harvesting location to be tested. Our lab needs approximately 5 ounces (~⅓ of a pound) of shellfish meat for tests, so plan accordingly. For guidelines on the number of extra shellfish you should collect, look on the back of the Shellfish Marine Biotoxin Sample Form.
Rinse as much dirt or grit off the outside of your shellfish as best you can. Do not hold shellfish for the lab in seawater or freshwater, however. If you can’t bring them to the Sitka Tribe directly after clamming, keep them in the fridge and cover them with a wet cloth.
Deliver samples to the address below in a waterproof plastic bag. Samples may be hand delivered, or shipped with appropriate packaging. All submitted samples must be accompanied by a completed Shellfish Testing Form.
Deliver or send all samples to:
STA-ERL
ATTN: Environmental Lab Manager
429 Katlian Street
Sitka, AK 99835
Shellfish will be tested the first full business day after samples are received unless otherwise noted. You will be contacted with your results as soon as they become available. STAERL follows the FDA-approved guidelines of not more than 80 µg/100g for saxitoxins and not more than 20 ppm for domoic acid to determine whether shellfish are safe or unsafe. As a general rule, STAERL will not publish results from private testing any as long as all samples come back under regulatory limits for toxins. If any samples come back unsafe, however, we reserve the right to issue a community advisory for the area where the samples were collected.
Air Quality Monitoring
The Sitka Tribe of Alask’s Resource Protection Department is working on a community air quality monitoring project. This project aims to address concerns from Tribal Citizens and the general public regarding the potential degredation of Sitka’s air quality due to the large increase in cruise ship tourism.
STA is using PurpleAir Flex sensors to measure PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. PM stands for “particulate matter” and the number (1, 2.5, 10) refers to the size of those particles in microns.
Sitka Tribe of Alaska is seeking households interested in hosting an air quality minitor. Be a part of a citizen science effort that collects inportant information on air quality in our community!
Email airquality@sitkatribe-nsn.gov for more information or to recieve a link to an application.
FAQs
- What is AQI? That stands for Air Quality Index – The higher the number, the more particulate matter in the air (worse air quality)
- What is PM? PM refers to particulate matter
- What is PM2.5? Particulate matter that is 2.5 microns or smaller in size
- What is the map displaying? Real-time (last ten minutes) PM2.5 AQI score from that location.
- What contributes to PM2.5? Vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, dust, fires, etc.
Alaska Ocean Acidification Network
Sitka Tribe of Alaska is part of the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network, which engages with scientists and stakeholders to expand understanding of the processes and consequences of ocean acidification in Alaska, as well as potential adaptation and mitigation strategies. As a participant in the network, STA collects continuous pH, pCO2, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity data using a moored buoy outside of Sitka Sound.
Learn more about Ocean Acidification monitoring