freshwater species of concern as bio-sentinels of pfas contamination
For the past 10 years, Dr. Ostovar has developed the first research of snapping turtles in Montana, and conducted demographic assessments of spiny softshell turtles. He works closely with colleagues of the Crow Tribe and recently surveyed the majority of rivers and streams across the Crow Reservation. His work with riverine turtles, as sentinel species, facilitates the assessment of water quality and dam-related hydrology changes. The proposed research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is critical as they are known to bioaccumulate in aquatic ecosystems and organisms. Recent MT DEQ surveys detected PFAS in Yellowstone River tributaries and below the waste water treatment plant in Billings. Freshwater turtles exhibit many suitable life history traits for assessing PFAS in aquatic systems, such as longevity, trophic position, environmental contaminant bioaccumulation, strong interannual site fidelity, and limited home ranges. This project funded by the Montana Water Center includes collaborators from the USFWS (Dr. Brian Balmer), and USGS (Dr. Erin Pulster).
Kayhan Ostovar is an Environmental Science and Wildlife Conservation professor at Rocky Mountain College (RMC) and the director of the Yellowstone River Research Center. He enjoys exploring rivers and engaging undergraduate students and communities in river conservation. He previously directed scientific specimen collections on a 2-month expedition on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and leads an annual Yellowstone River cleanup effort, resulting in the removal of more than 316,000 lbs. of trash in 18 years.