Alicia presented a poster titled “The influence of diet on prevalence of marine algal toxins in ice seals and walruses foraging in Alaskan waters” in Baltimore, MD.  She summarized work she performed in collaboration with the NOAA Wildlife Algal-toxin Research and Response Network for the U.S. West Coast (WARRN-West) assessing harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxin levels in GI samples from five species of ice-associated pinniped opportunistically collected around Alaska over nine years.  Low levels of domoic acid (DA) and saxitoxin (STX) detected in multiple regions and multiple species further emphasize the need to conduct lab work targeted at clarifying possible mechanisms of chronic, low level DA toxicity.  Developing our understanding of chronic pathologies is critical for both marine mammal health and the health of human communities that regularly consume seafood.