The $30 million toe in the water

A collaborative research initiative involving Nome-Beltz High School students,their science teacher Sarah Liben, tribal health officials from Norton Sound Health Corporation, and marine scientist Gay Sheffield from Alaska Sea Grant aimed to educate youth about harmful algal blooms while gathering critical data on toxin presence in locally harvested species.

Students participated in field training on water sampling and then conducted ice fishing expeditions to collect tomcod, also known as saffron cod, a staple in the local diet.

Their first catch, harvested in early 2024, was sent to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation lab for analysis.

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The results were surprising: detectable levels of saxitoxin and gonyautoxin were found in the liver tissue of the tomcod, even though the fish were caught in winter under ice—a time when blooms are not expected.

Although toxin concentrations were well below thresholds dangerous to human health, the discovery proved that Alexandrium toxins can accumulate in fish year-round.

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A second sampling in December 2024, using a different testing methodology that examined whole body contents,did not find saxitoxin but did detect related gonyautoxin compounds.

Scientists have identified vast cyst beds of Alexandrium on the seafloor of the Bering Sea, some of the largest and most concentrated in the world.

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Historically, these cysts remained dormant as they drifted north and sank , but rising ocean temperatures are now triggering them to germiinate and bloom, even in areas previously too cold.

This suggests that the region may experience increasingly frequent and severe toxic algal events.

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The student research project continues, servng both as a vital monitoring effort and as an educational tool to empoweer the next generation with knowledge to adapt to these changes.

Community members, including youth like student researcher Audrey Bruner-Alvanna, express worry about how warming will affect the safety and availability of subsistence foods.