Deke Gundersen

PDX Wildlife is very fortunate to have such a dedicated team of researchers who travel all overthe world.  One such researcher, Isaac Sleadd, recently returned from Antarctica with a treasure trove of biological samples.  Although Isaac studies antifreeze proteins, he also collaborates with fellow researchers on several other projects including mercury in Antarctic fish.

Mercury in Antarctica?  This is a common question that we hear when talking about pollutantsin the polar south.  Antarctica is widely thought to be untouched by contaminants and people, given its extreme environment and location.  This misconception is partially the reason behind studying mercury in fish.  We want to learn more about our environment and how it reacts to environmental contaminants that can travel such long distances.

In order to learn how much mercury is in these fish, we also need a lab who is capable and willing to run our samples.  Deke Gundersen of Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, has analyzed multiple biota for contaminants such as mercury, DDT, & PCB’s. We are lucky to be able to have Deke and his colleagues donate their time to analyze our samples.  We look forward to the results of this study.  Stay tuned for more over the next few months.