FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Health of Resident Orca Whales is Focus for Earth Month REI Speaker April 3

3/1708 NR on Peter Ross REI toxics and orca whale talk in April.

Puget Sound Earth Month 2008 kicks April 3 at REI Seattle with People For
Puget Sound’s “Exploring Puget Sound” speaker series presenting marine
toxicologist Dr. Peter Ross on “Toxic Whales: What Does the Future Hold For
Resident Killer Whales?”
 
Dr. Ross, a a marine mammal toxicologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada,
begins speaking at 7 PM.
 
According to Dr. Ross, “The Southern resident killer whales that ply the
transboundary waters of Puget Sound and Georgia Basin are highly
contaminated with toxic pollutants banned over 30 years ago in the US and
Canada.”

He will discuss his latest findings on contaminants in marine foods webs,
the implications for the health of killer whales, and explore the failure of
our regulatory paradigm to protect this iconic species from our industrial
activities.
 
Dr. Ross’s work on captive and wild harbor seals has provided a foundation
for understanding the link between environmental contaminants, endocrine
disruption, the immune system and increased susceptibility to disease in
marine mammals.

He continues to carry out multidisciplinary research into the effects of
contaminants on the health of wildlife, and uses marine mammals as sentinels
that help to elucidate contaminant pathways in the environment and alert
humans on issues of marine environmental contamination.
 
This event is part of People For Puget Sound’s Earth Month 2008 celebration
to raise awareness about the health of the Sound and to engage citizens in
actions to restore the Sound’s health. This Earth Month 2008 presentation is
funded in part through a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology.
 
Single program admission is $6 for People For Puget Sound members and $8 for
non-members.
 
For tickets, contact Kristina Hertz, (206) 382-7007

Contact: Mike Sato, (206) 382-7007.

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