cprc’s semi-annual newsletter€¦ · 4 volume 24 number 1 spring 2016 the president’s corner...

Volume 24 Number 1 Spring 2016

CPRC’s Semi-Annual Newsletter

MISSION STATEMENT............................................................................................................................................................... 2

CHAPTER LEADERSHIP AND COMMITTEES .................................................................................................................................. 3

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

NEW MEMBERS OF THE CPRC LEADERSHIP TEAM ...................................................................................................................... 5

THE MEMBERSHIP SURVEY ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

SPRING MEETING MENTORING ACTIVITY ................................................................................................................................... 8

COMING SOON… THE 2016 CPRC SETAC ANNUAL SPRING MEETING ........................................................................................ 9

VIRTUAL POSTER CONTEST .................................................................................................................................................... 10

CPRC FALL DINNER .............................................................................................................................................................. 11

STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS .................................................................................................................................................... 14

RECENT GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: OSPREYS AS A SENTINEL OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH IN THE CHESAPEAKE......... 16

NEWS FROM THE NORTH AMERICA STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (NASAC) .............................................................................. 18

EXPERIENCES FROM SETAC-SALT LAKE CITY .......................................................................................................................... 19

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION/RENEWAL ................................................................................................................................... 20

SUSTAINING SPONSORS .......................................................................................................................................................... 21

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS ............................................................................................................................................................ 21

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES................................................................................................................................................ 26

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MISSION STATEMENT

Serving the Chesapeake-Potomac Region (Maryland, DC, Virginia, and West Virginia), our chapter of SETAC

North America (SNA) provides a professional forum for individuals from private industry, academia, and

government agencies who are engaged in the study and analysis and solutions for environmental problems,

management and regulation of natural resources, and/or research and development. We facilitate

networking and educational opportunities for scientific professionals, mentoring and career guidance for

students, and environmental education and outreach for the public.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CPRC- SETAC

Follow us on Twitter @CPRCSETAC

www.linkedin.com/pub/cprc-setac/79/a3/767

https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=4065821

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CPRC-%20SETAC

https://twitter.com/CPRCSETAC

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cprc-setac/79/a3/767

https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=4065821

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CHAPTER LEADERSHIP AND COMMITTEES

Officers

President Paula Henry , USGS Patuxent [email protected]

Vice President Darci Ferrer, American Cleaning Institute [email protected]

Past President Elyssa Arnold, US EPA [email protected]

Treasurer Matthew Behum, Integral Consulting [email protected]

Secretary Sharon Hartzell, University of Maryland [email protected]

Board Members

2014 – 2016 Laura Robertson, Shepherd University

2014 – 2016 Lance Yonkos, University of Maryland

2015 - 2017 Jennifer Flippin, Tetra Tech

2015 - 2017 Tim Iannuzzi, Arcadis

2016 - 2018 Rebecca Lazarus, USGS Patuxent

2015 – 2017 Alex MacLeod, Student Representative, University of Maryland

Newsletter https://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/news/newsletters/

Editor-in-Chief: Hilda Fadaei

Assistant Editors: Scott Lynn and Debra Joseph

Website cprcsetac.wordpress.com/

Webmaster: Scott Lynn

Communications Steering Committee

Improving communications and outreach to CPRC members. Committee Chair: Jennifer Flippin cprcsetac.wordpress.com/get-involved/communications-steering-committee

Event Planning Committee

Organizes event themes, agenda, keynote speakers, and logistics. Committee Chair: Darci Ferrer cprcsetac.wordpress.com/get-involved/event-planning-committee

Student Outreach Committee

Increase student involvement and participation in society at large. Committee Chair: Laura Robertson cprcsetac.wordpress.com/get-involved/student-outreach-committee

mailto:[email protected]




https://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/news/newsletters/

http://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/get-involved/communications-steering-committee/

http://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/get-involved/event-planning-committee/

http://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/get-involved/student-outreach-committee/

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THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Despite the crazy weather this winter - from January 23rd's record snow blizzard, and January 31st being

the warmest in 25 years, "the state of the CPRC-SETAC" is doing well.

Thanks to Elyssa Arnold's tremendous leadership in 2015 and the Executive and Board of Directors many

hours of assistance, 2016 is poised to be another successful year for our Chapter. As Scott Lynn's terms as a

Board member and Chair to Communications Committee, and Natasha Andrade term as CPRC Secretary,

ended in December, I am very grateful for their help in transitioning to 2016. Before moving on, Natasha

updated the membership lists and made sure that documents and templates were easily accessible for our

new CPRC secretary, Sharon Hartzell. Scott updated our web page and continues to help the Chapter as co-

CPRC secretary and across many committees and activities. I also need to recognize Mark LaGuardia, chair

of the unofficial "CPRC's Annual Science Meetings Planning Commission", for his organizational skills,

leadership, and especially, persistence in taking on such a multi-facetted task. Congratulations to our newly

elected Board member, Rebecca Lazarus! As I move into the President's role, I feel really lucky to work

alongside with Elyssa Arnold, CPRC's Past President, and Darci Ferrer, our newly elected Vice President.

Darci has already transformed our registration processes to simplify tracking, saving us many hours of cross

checking.

I am really excited as we move forward. Starting in January, a Membership Committee was formed to

simplify tracking and enhance the Sponsorship Program. With 4 students from our region accepted to the

program, the Board voted to cover their travel expenses for the 2016 YES meetings held in Florida. Scott

and Sharon continue to update our website and posting to the One Stop Job Shop additional jobs and

potential internships on Linked In. It is no wonder that CPRC's web site was recognized in January by

SETAC World as a model for other Regions!

In addition to 2016's Virtual Poster Contest and our pre- Orlando SETAC multiplex happy hour, I look

forward to our upcoming Annual Spring Science Meeting, April 17th and 18th. This year we hope to attract

members from all across our region - Maryland, DC, Virginia, and West Virginia - and from the Chesapeake

to the Appalachians. These annual regional science meetings are critical as they bring together for 1-2 days,

colleagues, environmental professionals and students, from across multiple disciplines. It all starts on

Sunday morning, April 17th, with a family-friendly hike or a selection of tours of this historic campus. In the

afternoon we meet up for a short course on "What To Know About Climate Change", led by Dr. Paul Wagner,

senior ecologist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources, and faculty at Virginia

Tech's Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability. This will be followed by a stop to relax and enjoy

dinner at a local Pub. Join us for one or all of these optional pre-meeting day activities. The short course will

lead very nicely into Monday's Science meeting. In addition to a full day of platform and poster

presentations from our member's diverse and scientific research, our Keynote speaker, Dr. William J.

Antholis , Director and CEO at the Miller Center, will offer a discussion on "Science, Technology, and Values"

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what the next President can and cannot get done within the first year. As the media bombard us with their

opinions, this discussion should be very interesting and certainly timely.

I urge you to check out our website for additional information on this, outreach activities, and other events

as well as for job, internship, and award opportunities. We are always looking for new ideas and

suggestions; of course, if you are interested in volunteering and helping with any of our committees, there is

always room for one more- so let us know. The state of CPRC is doing well because of you.

We hope to see you in Charlottesville on April 17th-8th!

Paula Henry

CPRC President

NEW MEMBERS OF THE CPRC LEADERSHIP TEAM

Sharon Hartzell, Secretary

Sharon Hartzell is a second-year master's student at the University of

Maryland, College Park. She works in the lab of Dr. Lance Yonkos, and is

conducting thesis research on contaminated sediments in Baltimore

Harbor. Her project has involved both sediment toxicity assays and

analytical chemistry work using field-portable techniques for detecting

metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. She has been involved with

the CPRC chapter of SETAC for the past year and a half, and began serving

as social media coordinator in January of 2015. She also serves as

recording secretary for the board. Sharon is excited to continue her work in

the environmental field and with the CPRC SETAC chapter.

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Darci Ferrer, Vice President

Darci Ferrer is the Manager of Environmental Sciences for the American Cleaning

Institute (ACI), the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry®, a 140+ member

based association located in Washington, D.C. Darci aids in the development of an

environmental exposure model using geographic information systems (GIS) for

down-the-drain chemicals for use in product stewardship activities and risk

assessments. In addition, she coordinates environmental research projects and is

engaged in scientific outreach, including STEM education.

After completing her B.S. in Biology with an ecology concentration from Winona

State University, she worked as a research technologist for the Institute of Genetic

Medicine at Johns Hopkins University before deciding to pursue a graduate degree.

She earned a M.S. from Johns Hopkins University in Environmental Science and

Policy. Her research project investigated carbon dioxide emissions from soil in

different urban landscapes. While she was completing her masters, she also coordinated biology laboratory

courses for Loyola University Maryland. Darci has been a member of CPRC SETAC since 2012, joined the

CPRC Events Planning Committee in 2014, and now as Vice President is enjoying serving the membership on

a broader scale.

Rebecca Lazarus, Board Member

Rebecca recently received her doctorate from the Marine-Estuarine

Environmental Science Graduate Program at the University of Maryland,

College Park. Her dissertation research focused on contaminant exposure,

food web transfer and potential effects on ospreys nesting in Chesapeake Bay.

Rebecca completed her research under the USGS Career Pathways Program at

Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Rebecca has been involved in CPRC since

2010. She served as the student representative from 2011-2012, newsletter

editor, and was involved in planning spring meetings at the University of

Maryland and at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center. As a board

member, Rebecca is excited to continue her involvement with CPRC and

hopes to promote the student experience, and encourage graduate student

research and accomplishments.

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THE MEMBERSHIP SURVEY

By Jennifer Flippin

In November 2015 CPRC asked members to share their opinions about what our chapter was doing well and

where it might benefit from improvements. A ten question survey gathered feedback regarding our

communication with the membership, ideas for future meetings/gatherings, and how members might

become more involved with our chapter. We were thrilled by your willingness to participate and would like

to share a few things we learned.

Communication. Most respondents found email messages from CPRC and the website as the most useful

way to stay up-to-date on happenings within our group. However, an ever increasing number are also taking

advantage of our LinkedIn and Facebook groups along with our Twitter feed. Check us out on social media if

you have not yet had a chance! If you want to become more involved in our outreach effort to the members

and other colleagues in the region, contact the Communications Steering Committee.

Future Meetings and Gatherings. We asked for suggestions for the location of future meetings and the

responses reflected areas throughout our entire region—Washington DC, West Virginia, Virginia, and

Maryland. Some members suggested that location was very important and were not able to attend due to

long travel distances; several liked the idea of moving the meeting throughout the region on a rotating basis.

A few members also suggested an option for virtual meeting attendance in order to participate from afar. In

addition to our spring meeting, members recommended other gathering opportunities such as happy hours,

bowling, dinner meetings, whitewater rafting, a cookout, and hiking. We also saw several great ideas for

planning a joint meeting with other regional organizations. You can help us plan for a meeting or event in

your favorite location by becoming involved with our Events Planning Committee.

Short Courses and Invited Speakers. Members had interesting ideas for future short courses and invited

speakers. We saw an overwhelming response requesting a status update on various aspects of the

Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Other suggestions included mining/acid mine drainage, alternatives to

animal testing, the NPDES program, storm water, green chemistry, sustainability, issues related to water

reuse, field excursions/ sampling techniques, networking/job searching, and data

management/statistics/ecorisk software seminars.

Student Events. Students responded that they would like to see more opportunities for networking with

professionals and students from other regional colleges and universities. A few also suggested more dinner

meetings, a career fair/seminar, and help with publishing. If you would like to help put some of those ideas

in motion, contact the Student Outreach Committee.

Member Involvement. We asked for volunteers interested in joining committees or judging student

presentations at future events. We appreciate everyone who volunteered and hope to reach out soon, if we

have not already done so.

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Our sincere thanks for everyone who provided feedback for the survey! Congratulations to Debra Joseph

who was randomly selected to win the survey participation prize. She will receive $20 off her Spring

Meeting registration. We will do our best to incorporate as many of your suggestions as possible to improve

CPRC. We have already made updates to the website, contacted some new volunteers, and are exploring

some ideas for 2016-17 events. If you have any ideas in the future or want to become involved with one of

the committees, please contact us at [email protected].

SPRING MEETING MENTORING ACTIVITY

By Sarah Fischer

Sign up for the lunchtime mentoring activity at registration for the CPRC-SETAC 2016 Spring Meeting!

For Mentors: Would you like to pass on valuable seeds of wisdom to undergraduate and graduate students

during casual lunch conversation?

This year, we would like to have mentors representing different fields sit at specified lunch tables, so each

table has 2-3 mentors from different career fields. To get your table, all you will have to do is check in at

morning registration and the Student Committee will help take care of the rest. Students will come to you

based on a drawing at registration. Please be sure to bring those business cards to keep the conversation

going with your mentees after the event - they'll appreciate it! For any additional questions, please feel free

to contact Student Outreach Committee member, Sarah Fischer at [email protected].

For Students: Get excited for the 2016 Mentoring Activity and get those burning questions about careers

ready. To participate, simply sign up for the lunch event at the meeting's morning registration. Students

choose a sector they're interested in and draw a name and table from one of four bowls: government,

industry, academia, or other and meet a mentor later at lunch. Tables will be seated with mentors from

other fields, so students will have the opportunity to talk with professionals from multiple fields as well.

Ask Questions!



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COMING SOON… THE 2016 CPRC SETAC ANNUAL

SPRING MEETING

Registration is now open!

https://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/2016-cprc-annual-spring-meeting-registration/

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VIRTUAL POSTER CONTEST

By Laura Robertson

Last fall, CPRC hosted its first annual Virtual Student Poster Contest. CPRC plans to host a second annual

Virtual Student Poster Contest at the end of summer 2016.

Contest: Prizes are awarded to the winners of the best graduate, best undergraduate, and most popular

posters. The best graduate and best undergraduate posters are decided by a panel of judges. The most

popular poster is determined by online voting of the CPRC members.

Poster: This contest provides an excellent opportunity to present your research and obtain feedback from a

panel of judges (including representatives from academia, industry, and government) prior to the SETAC-NA

meeting. Not only are the posters judged (remember – prizes!), but written comments and suggestions from

the judges are provided to each student who submits a poster.

Student: This contest is open to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Virtual: Posters are submitted electronically and are available to the judging panel and to the chapter

membership online. This saves costly travel and printing services for the student, expands the potential

viewing audience, and is environmentally friendly.

The winners of the 2015 first annual Virtual Student Poster Contest were: Rebecca Lazarus (Best Graduate

Poster) and Sharon Hartzell (Most Popular Poster-see her bio on page 14).

We hope to build on the success of our first annual Virtual Poster Contest with more entrants in 2016 and

we encourage all CPRC student members to submit posters for the second annual Virtual Poster Contest

(remember – prizes!). Please watch for announcements this summer.

Name: Rebecca Lazarus

University: University of Maryland, College Park and USGS-Patuxent

Wildlife Research Center

Department: Marine-Estuarine Environmental Science

Type of Degree: Ph.D.

Type and Amount of Award: Virtual Poster Contest Winner – $100

Presentation: Poster: Macro-plastic trash: The visible pollutants in osprey

(Pandion haliaetus) nests in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

I just completed my doctorate in the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences program at University of

Maryland, College Park and I am in the Career Pathways Program of the U.S. Geological Survey at Patuxent

Wildlife Research Center. My research focused on contaminant exposure, effects and bioaccumulation of

contaminants from fish to ospreys in Chesapeake Bays. Ospreys are well-recognized for their utility as a

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sentinel species and an excellent indicator of local pollution. From 2011-2013 we collected fish, and osprey

egg and nestling blood samples to investigate transfer of organic contaminants (organochlorine pesticides,

flame retardants and PCBs) and pharmaceuticals in the food web at some of the most heavily urbanized and

industrialized areas in the Bay (Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco River, Back River, Elizabeth River,

Anacostia/middle Potomac River, James River and Susquehanna River). A variety of techniques were

employed to monitor osprey diet including identification of food scraps and game camera observations to

identify the key fish species in osprey diet at study sites around the Bay. This project was a large

collaborative effort with scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office,

Baylor University, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences. Specifically, the poster I presented at the

SETAC-NA meeting in Salt Lake City, UT focused on the various items of anthropogenic origin that we

surveyed in osprey nests while undertaking contaminant and productivity monitoring. Ospreys have been

observed to incorporate unusual items in their nests including plastics, fishing tackle, cordage and fabrics.

Adults and chicks may become entangled in debris, impaled by hooks, and such items can also pose a

choking hazard if ingested. I’d like to thank CPRC for their longstanding support of students and am looking

forward to continuing my involvement with SETAC.

CPRC FALL DINNER

By Paula Henry

CPRC SETAC's 2015 Fall Dinner-turned- 2016 Winter Dinner was held Feb 25th at the TAVIRA restaurant in

Chevy Chase, MD. With 22 members and their guests, the dinner was well attended. The room may have

been a bit cozy, but the Mediterranean dinner selections were delicious. Our guest speaker, Dr. David

Curson, presented ongoing projects undertaken by Audubon to identify critical changes in the saltwater

marsh distribution as a result of sea level rise. Finding ways to adapt to these changes is challenging but it

was very positive to learn that solutions are being sought for the habitats needs of birds depending on those

marshes - black ducks and other waterfowl, herons, and songbirds. Without a working projector, David

coordinated his talk and slides using multiple laptops: all a bit challenging, but as many agreed, a

thoroughly interesting presentation, good food, and a little wine helped make the dinner totally enjoyable!

Next dinner will be planned for the fall, hopefully with a slightly larger room!

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HIGHLIGHTS

SETAC-NA 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY

Some SETAC members checked out Utah’s beautiful national

parks after the meeting. CPRC Board members Jennifer Flippin

and Tim Iannuzzi ran into each other 250 miles away from Salt

Lake City on a trail in Canyonlands National Park!

"Enjoying a visit to the Great Salt Lake" - Photo taken by Rebecca Lazarus.

Past-President of CPRC David J. Kent received the

Outstanding Regional Chapter Member Award at the 2015

SETAC-NA Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. Presenting the

award is committee chair Diane Nacci.

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CPRC ANNUAL OPEN BOARD MEETING IN SALT LAKE CITY

By Paula Henry

The November CPRC SETAC business meeting in Salt Lake City was well attended. The meeting opened as

we recognized CPRC's two-time President and 22 year SETAC member, David Kent, for receiving the

Outstanding Regional Chapter Member Award for 2015. Having held multiple positions helping CPRC at

both the Regional level (e.g., including both treasurer and editor the same year!) and at the National level,

David certainly earned the award. Congratulations! Next we discussed CPRC new initiatives for 2015: the

Virtual Poster Contest and the pre-Salt Lake happy hours. Feedback for the CPRC Virtual Poster Contest was

very positive for a first year effort, attracting much interest from several other regional chapters. In an

effort to increase student participation in 2016, we will try shifting deadlines to an earlier date, allowing

students more time to prepare for SETAC NA. We sought to expand the pre-Salt Lake Happy hour to

multiple locations throughout the region and in 2015; meetings were organized in Washington D.C. and

Harrisonburg, Virginia. Although attendance was low, the overall consensus of the attendees is to try again

next year.

Hilda Fadaei provided updates and new ideas for our semi-annual newsletter, and Sharon Hartzell

presented ongoing ways we are expanding our social media network. A preview of upcoming events -

CPRC's Annual Dinner, potential participation in the YES meeting, and our 2016 Annual Spring meeting -

was presented with a call to send in comments and suggestions for future activities.

The meeting concluded with another series of recognitions as award certificates were presented for the

winners of the Virtual Poster Contest, Rebecca Lazarus (Best graduate student poster) and Sharon Hartzell

(Most popular poster award), and the Student Travel Awards presented to Sharon Hartzell, Kelley Ann Uhlig

(for their poster abstracts) and Hilda Fadaei (for her platform abstract). Congratulations to all

winners...and we hope to see you next year!

Chesapeake-Potomac Regional Chapter members gather at the SETAC Salt Lake City meeting to discuss

chapter business.

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STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS

Name: Hilda Fadaei

University: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Department: Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering

Type of Degree: Ph.D.

Type and Amount of Award: Travel Award $500

Presentation: Platform: Effect of sediment AC amendment on pelagic and

benthic exposures to fish

I am an Environmental Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland,

Baltimore County, working under the supervision of Dr. Upal Ghosh. I received my M.S. in Environmental

Engineering from University of Missouri and my B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Tehran.

The overall goal of my research is to help modify the existing bioaccumulation models and calibrate them so

that these models can make reasonable assessments of long-term recovery of PCB residues in fish after

sediment remediation. I have investigated the effect of bioavailability changes on PCB accumulation in

aquatic organisms. I have used passive sampling devices to assess freely dissolved concentrations of PCBs

and incorporated those measures as inputs to bioaccumulation models which can be used for predicting

PCB body burdens in fish for risk assessment screening prior to and after site remediation. I am currently

studying how differently pelagic and benthic feeding fish respond to sediment amendment with strong

sorbents such as activated carbon (AC). I received the second place platform presentation award at SETAC-

Salt Lake City. I would like to thank SETAC-NA and CPRC for providing the opportunity for students to

present their work and receive constructive feedback. I am looking forward to continuing my involvement

with CPRC-SETAC.

Name: Sharon Hartzell

University: University of Maryland, College Park

Department: Environmental Science & Technology

Type of Degree: M.S.

Type and Amount of Award: Travel Award - $500;

Virtual Poster Contest Most Popular – free registration

Presentation: Poster: Quantifying contaminants in Bear Creek sediment:

Validation of novel analytical techniques and implications for risk

assessment

I am a Master’s student in Ecosystem Health & Natural Resource Management at the University of Maryland,

College Park. My research focuses on legacy contaminants in Bear Creek near Baltimore, MD. Bear Creek is

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adjacent to a previous site of steel production, and its sediments exhibit toxicity to benthic organisms and

elevated levels of heavy metals and PAHs. Since June of 2014, I have been surveying toxicity at the site to

improve our understanding of the spatial extent and depth of the contamination. I have also been exploring

two techniques for chemical analysis – an antibody-based PAH biosensor, and a handheld XRF device for

measuring heavy metals. Both tools show promise for fast, field-portable and affordable analysis of

environmental samples. My poster at SETAC Salt Lake City showed results from toxicity testing at 22 sites

within the system, using Leptocheirus plumulosus as a test organism. I also demonstrated correlations

between toxicity and several key metals associated with steel production, particularly nickel and chromium.

In addition to surface samples, I have assessed toxicity and PAH concentrations at depth, and am continuing

to apply handheld XRF to these samples. This project has offered a fascinating glimpse into the process of

ecological and human health risk assessment and opened my eyes to the complications of dealing with

historically contaminated sites – issues I hope to explore in my career as an environmental scientist. I’d like

to thank CPRC for their support, and look forward to presenting my continuing research at the meeting this

spring.

Name: Kelley Uhlig

University: Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Department: Aquatic Health Sciences

Type of Degree: M.S.

Type and Amount of Award: Travel Award – $500

Presentation: Poster: Sorption of persistent organic pollutants to two

bio-based polymers, polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoate

Currently, I am a Master’s student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and

Mary. My research is focused on investigating the adsorption of chemical contaminants to traditional and

bio-based microplastics, and also the impacts of a natural biofilm on this adsorption. The poster I presented

at the 2015 SETAC-North America meeting was an overview of my current thesis research, specifically the

methods I am utilizing to compare the adsorption of persistent organic pollutants to three types of polymer

microplastics: polyethylene, polyhydroxyalkanoate, and polylactic acid. Polyhydroxyalkanoate and

polylactic acid are both bio-based, bio-degradable polymers and their share of the plastic product market is

expected to grow in the coming years as consumers turn away from traditional, petro-based, slowly

degrading polymers towards these “greener” alternatives. There has yet to be any investigation into how

these polymers interact with contaminants already present in aquatic environments. My goal is to use the

knowledge I’ve gained at VIMS in environmental chemistry and marine science to further our general

scientific understanding regarding emerging environmental issues and to work toward solutions in a

government or non-profit career. I’d like to extend my thanks to the CPRC SETAC chapter for funding my

first national conference visit, and I look forward to furthering my involvement with CPRC in the future.

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RECENT GRADUATE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT:

OSPREYS AS A SENTINEL OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH IN

THE CHESAPEAKE

By Rebecca S. Lazarus, Ph.D., USGS-Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and University of Maryland

The annual sighting of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in the Chesapeake Bay marks the return of spring. After

migrating up to 2,000 miles from Central America, the coast of Brazil and Cuba, ospreys are back once again

to breed in the Chesapeake. We will soon spot these charismatic “fish-hawks” building nests out of sticks,

and even trash items or any other trinkets they can find. Nests are quite conspicuous and can be found on

power poles, aids to navigation and constructed wooden nest platforms. Ospreys are well-recognized for

their utility as excellent sentinel species for ecotoxicological studies. Their eggs and blood have been used

to monitor spatial and temporal trends of environmental contaminants worldwide. Many unique

characteristics make ospreys ideal for such types of studies. Ospreys are strictly piscivorous and feed at a

high trophic level which makes their diet easy to study and link to localized sources of lipophilic

contaminants. Nestlings are exclusively fed fish usually captured within 3-5 km from their nest. Ospreys are

also adaptable to human landscapes and disturbance and can be found nesting in some of the most highly

contaminated industrialized and urbanized areas around the Bay.

The last large-scale ecotoxicological study of ospreys in Chesapeake Bay was conducted in 2000-2001 and

focused on U.S. EPA-designated Regions of Concern (ROCs; Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco, Anacostia/middle

Potomac, and Elizabeth Rivers) (Rattner et al., 2004). While concentrations of organochlorine pesticides

were found to be decreasing in osprey eggs, levels of PCBs had not declined from historic values and

remained a concern in some locations. A few eggs contained concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl

ether flame retardants that approached suggested adverse effect thresholds.

After graduating from Penn State University with a B.S. in Biology and completing coursework at Cornell

University’s Shoals Marine Lab on seabirds and a student conservation internship at Hawk Mountain

Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, I developed a passion for ornithology and using birds as a sentinel for

environmental health. In 2009, I enrolled as a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, College Park

under the guidance of Dr. Mary Ann Ottinger and worked under the tutelage of Dr. Barnett Rattner at the

U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in the Student Pathways Program.

For my dissertation research I conducted a decadal re-evaluation of contaminant exposure and effects in

ospreys in Chesapeake Bay. From 2011-2013, we monitored osprey productivity (Figure 1) and collected

fish, osprey egg and nestling blood samples (Figure 2) to investigate transfer of organic contaminants

(organochlorine pesticides, flame retardants and PCBs) and pharmaceuticals in the fish-osprey food chain at

some of the most heavily urbanized, industrialized and agricultural areas in the Bay (Baltimore

17


Harbor/Patapsco River, Back River, Elizabeth River,

Anacostia/middle Potomac River, James River and

Susquehanna River). Poplar Island, a mid-Bay location was

used as our reference site. A variety of techniques were

employed to monitor osprey diet including identification of

food scraps and game camera observations to determine the

key fish species in osprey diet at study sites around the Bay

(Figure 3). The dominant species in osprey diet were sampled

to relate concentrations of contaminants in fish to those in

ospreys.

Briefly, our research indicated that osprey productivity was

adequate to sustain local populations, and there was no

relation between productivity and halogenated contaminants.

These studies have documented the continued recovery of the

osprey population, declining levels of many persistent

halogenated compounds, and modest evidence of genetic

damage in nestlings from industrialized regions (Lazarus et

al., 2015a). My research also examined the transfer of

pharmaceuticals from water to fish to ospreys. Of the 24

analytes, 18 were detected in water, 8 in fish plasma, but only

1 in osprey nestling plasma. The antihypertensive drug

diltiazem was detected in all 69 osprey nestling plasma

samples, and levels in fish and osprey plasma were below the

human therapeutic plasma concentration. Thresholds for

wildlife are unknown at this time, but there was no evidence

to suggest adverse effects (Lazarus et al., 2015b).

This project was a collaborative effort with scientists from the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office,

Baylor University, and the Virginia Institute of Marine

Sciences. This past 2015 field season, a large-scale

ecotoxicological study was undertaken in Delaware Bay to

compare to previous findings from over a decade ago. Osprey

eggs, nestling blood samples and fish were again collected

from various sites in Delaware Bay (ranging from Cape

Henlopen, DE to Bristol, PA). I hope that this work will

continue to expand the scope of our knowledge, document

spatial and temporal pollution trends in fish and wildlife and

contribute towards the improvement of the health of these

Figure 1. Rebecca Lazarus and Dr. Barnett Rattner view the contents of an osprey nest using a mirror pole. Image was taken on Back River, Maryland.

Figure 2. Rebecca Lazarus brings a 40-45

day old osprey nestling down to collect a

blood sample. Image was taken at

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, Delaware.

Figure 3. Game camera image of an osprey

with prey. Image was taken on Poplar

Island, Maryland.

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two major estuaries. I have recently been elected to the CPRC Board of Directors and look forward to

helping CPRC continuing to support graduate student research.

Works Cited

Lazarus RS, Rattner BA, McGowan PC, Hale RC, Schultz SL, Karouna-Renier NK, Ottinger MA. 2015a. Decadal

re-evaluation of contaminant exposure and productivity of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in

Chesapeake Bay regions of concern. Environmental Pollution 205: 278-290.

Lazarus RS, Rattner BA, Brooks BW, Du B, McGowan PC, Blazer VS, Ottinger MA. 2015b. Exposure and food

web transfer of pharmaceuticals in ospreys (Pandion haliaetus): predictive model and empirical data.

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 11: 118-129.

Rattner BA, McGowan PC, Golden NH, Hatfield JS, Toschik PC, Lukei RF, Hale RC, Schmitz-Alfonso I, Rice CP.

2004. Contaminant exposure and reproductive success of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in

Chesapeake Bay regions of concern. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 47: 126-140.

NEWS FROM THE NORTH AMERICA STUDENT

ADVISORY COUNCIL (NASAC)

By Alexander MacLeod

As the student community of NASAC grows and gains more student perspectives, we have been faced with

several challenges, aspirations, and accomplishments. The current priorities for 2016 include approving the

regional chapter (RC), standardizing student representation by developing a standard operating procedure

(SOP), increasing the presence of students of SETAC NA (SNA) on social media and other communication

avenues (e.g. Globe), soliciting feedback from the students of SNA on the importance of having a vote for the

SNA Board of Directors (BoD), proposing sustained SNA support for one NASAC leader to travel to SETAC

Europe, successfully hosting the first Young Environmental Scientists (YES) meeting in North America,

planning and implementing engaging programming for the students at the SNA Orlando meeting, and

increasing engagement of SNA’s students in Scientific Advisory Groups!

Regional Chapter Representation. Following the discussions of student voting it was realized that we

should standardize the metrics determining RC student representatives. Currently, most RCs have a method

of determining their student representatives, and these vary from appointing an interested student to actual

elections with transparency of the individuals running for the position. In addition, we found that some RCs

do not have student representation on NASAC and that term lengths vary. In order for NASAC to have

proper student representation across SNA’s 19 RCs, a standard operation procedure (SOP) has been

developed by NASAC and presented to the RC Committee, where it was well received. Each representative

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solicited feedback from their chapter and have agreed to begin implementing the SOP at their RC meetings

in spring 2016.

Student Voting Within SNA. At present, the NASAC Chair is a nonvoting member of the SNA BoD, and

students of SNA do not vote for SNA BoD members. At the national SNA meeting in Salt Lake City, NASAC

became aware that some students would like increased representation within SNA. These conversations

sparked interest within NASAC to develop an ad hoc Student Voting Committee, spearheaded by the current

NASAC chair, Blair Paulik. The committee will consolidate the facts and circulate the findings to the broader

SNA student membership to mindfully solicit feedback. This group has convened to discuss two pressing

issues: a) obtaining a student vote for the NASAC chair serving on the BoD and/or b) enabling all students to

vote when electing BoD representatives. Currently, this committee is composed of students and

professionals within SETAC and will be responsible with disseminating the potential pros and cons in a clear

and concise manner to be distributed to the entire SNA student membership to get their opinions. Based on

those findings, it will be determined how important these issues are to the majority of students.

EXPERIENCES FROM SETAC-SALT LAKE CITY

2015-2016 NASAC Representatives after planning for the YES conference and student initiatives

Student/Mentor Lunch

Student Mixer at “The Hotel and Club Elevate”

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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION/RENEWAL

SETAC: the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is an independent, nonprofit

professional society that provides a forum for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of

environmental issues, management and conservation of natural resources, environmental education, and

environmental research and development.

CPRC: the Chesapeake and Potomac Regional Chapter of SETAC is a non-profit organization started in the

year 1983. CPRC’s mission is to promote the exchange of information among environmental scientists in the

Mid-Atlantic States.

Note: you do not have to be a SETAC member to be a member of CPRC.

There are three ways to join/renew:

1) Preferred Method SETAC North America (SNA) (tinyurl.com/cprcmember). SNA will send us your

contact info so we can add you to our chapter mailing list. You do not have to be an SNA member to use

this option.

2) PayPal CPRC (tinyurl.com/DuesCPRCpp) credit cards accepted, no PayPal account needed. Enter

appropriate fee amount ($5 student, $15 professional). Please note that it is easier for us to track your

membership when you join via the SNA site (option 1 above).

3) Snail Mail: Check and money orders accepted. Please include your name, affiliation and address with

your payment.

SETAC-CPRC

P.O. Box 153

Severn, MD 21144

Attn: Matthew Behum, Treasurer

Membership renewals occur every December. If you have any difficulty with your membership application

or payment, please contact Matthew Behum ([email protected]).


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forssistance.

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

SUSTAINING SPONSORS

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

On behalf of the membership of the Chesapeake Potomac Regional Chapter (CPRC) of the Society of

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), the CPRC Board of Directors are asking for your support

as a Corporate/Organizational Sponsor for 2016 or beyond. The benefits of sponsorship are substantial, and

include (but are not limited to): fostering interaction among members (both professionally and socially),

hosting scientific meetings and social events, writing and distributing a biannual newsletter, maintaining

and updating our website, and funding student awards that encourage and promote research and

professional development of our student members. Your support would play a key role in maintaining these

activities, and help us achieve our goal of expanding the size of CPRC and the range of benefits that we can

offer. We offer two formal levels corporate sponsorship with the benefits summarized below. We also

welcome and recognize sponsorships focused on specific areas (for example, a student travel award) and

smaller level contributions. (https://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/sponsorship/sponsorship-program/)

To become a sponsor, please remit payment (payable to CPRC-SETAC) with your company and contact information to: SETAC-CPRC P.O. Box 153 Severn, MD 21144 Attn: Matthew Behum, Treasurer Matthew Behum, Treasurer ([email protected]) can answer any additional questions.

2016 ANNUAL CPRC CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP CATEGORIES

Sustaining ($500+) Associate ($250)

Logo displayed in CPRC newsletter and meetings √ √

Logo and link to webpage on CPRC website √ √

Complimentary CPRC meeting registration 2 1

Advertising in newsletter Full Page Half Page

Table space for distribution of promotional materials at CPRC

meetings and events

√

Poster/Display space at CPRC meetings √

Job postings in newsletter, email blasts, and CPRC website √

https://cprcsetac.wordpress.com/sponsorship/sponsorship-program/


cprc’s semi-annual newsletter€¦ · 4 volume 24 number 1 spring 2016 the president’s corner...

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