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News and Activities
Steller's Eider Contaminants Investigation Date Posted: December 22, 1999 In conjunction with a larger project assessing reproductive success and habitat use in threatened Stellerﾒs eiders (Polysticta stelleri), Service contaminants staff collected blood samples from nesting female eiders for contaminant analysis. Ingestion of lead shot is a major issue for several species of breeding eiders in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and since the arctic coastal plain around Barrow, Alaska, is the last known breeding area of Stellerﾒs eiders in the U.S., it is important to have data on the impacts of lead on eiders in this area. Rotten and abandoned eggs were also collected for screening, to address concerns regarding potential contaminant effects on reproduction. Data will address issues discussed in the draft recovery plan for the species and help clarify risks to Alaskaﾒs Stellerﾒs eider population.
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