PFAS bioaccumulation in coastal marine food webs

Alongside collaborators at the University of Rhode Island and USGS/Clemson University, I am working to better understand how Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, or Forever Chemicals) accumulate from air and water, vegetation, sediment, bivalves, fish and seabirds. Our study area is Charleston Harbor, SC, where training exercises at local military bases using aqueous firefighting foams have contributed to elevated PFAS levels throughout the harbor and associated waterways. 

Over the past two years, we have conducted GPS tracking of Brown Pelicans and American Oystercatchers along with collecting tissue samples from eggs and chicks, combined with analysis of environmental and tissue samples, to understand how variation in both dietary niche and year-round habitat use by seabirds contributes to their exposure to these chemicals. Our work will help to evaluate the potential for seabirds to act as indicators of pollutants of concern for human well-being. Publications from this work are forthcoming in late 2026.