| Joanna Burger, Ph.D., Professor B218 Nelson Labs 604 Allison Road Piscataway, NJ 08854-6999 VOICE: (732) 445-4318 FAX: (732) 445-1794 burger@biology.rutgers.edu Visit the Burger Lab |
Research Summary
Mercury in seafood
A recent New York Times article described research by Prof. Joanna Burger, working with Prof. Michael Gochfeld of RWJ/UMDNJ, demonstrating the presence of dangerous levels of mercury in seafood samples including sushi. This work was covered on the NBC Today Show.
Joanna Burger is a behavioral ecologist whose primary interests are in the adaptive significance of social behavior in vertebrates, the effects of incubation temperature on behavioral development, the effects of heavy metals on neurobehavioral development, and ecological risk. In the area of social behavior she works mainly with marine and coastal birds, including the effects of people on reproductive success and ecology of colonial species. The work on reptiles involves examining how the behavior of snakes is influenced by incubation temperature, including locomotion, antipredator behavior, foraging, and over-wintering. For several years she has been examining patterns of heavy metal distribution worldwide, using avian feathers as indicators. This ongoing work involves examining the effects of low level lead, chromium and manganese exposure (similar to what children get when they eat lead paint) on behavior development of Herring Gulls, both in the field and in the laboratory. Her work with ecological risk assessment has included many different species and habitats. She is currently working at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina, developing ecological risk methodologies. She sits on the U.S. National SCOPE Committee, is on the National Academy of Sciences Committee of Endocrine Disruptors, and has participated in several international SCOPE committees on ecological risk, mercury, and hazardous wastes.