1. José Ernesto Mancera-Pineda Cartagena - Colombia. Sept 19 / 2019
The Ocean and Human Health: Challenges and Opportunities, the case of Ciguatera in the Caribbean
José Ernesto Mancera-Pineda
Cartagena - Colombia. Sept 19 / 2019
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
ANCA – IOCARIBE

2. Introduction
Marine microalgae play an important role in the ocean, they are the basis of a large part of the trophic networks, produce oxygen and fix carbon.
But algal blooms represent a significant and expanding threat to human health and economy throughout the world.
These natural events, known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), take different forms, ranging from massive accumulations of cells that discolor the water (“red tides”) to dilute, inconspicuous, but highly toxic populations. O2
CO2

3. HABs Main Impacts Sector Impacts Public health
Public health
Human intoxication and death from the consumption of contaminated shellfish or fish
Economy
Significant impacts in Fishery and Aquaculture: Mass mortalities of wild and farmed fish and shellfish; Aquaculture closures.
Negative impacts on Tourism
Environmental
Mass mortalities of marine mammals, seabirds, and other animals;
Alterations of food webs through adverse effects on larvae and other life history stages of fish and invertebrate species
Aesthetic
Noxious smell.
Appearance of algae accumulated in nearshore waters or deposited on beaches

4. Marine Toxins Syndrome Acronym Main responsible species
HABs deteriorate water quality, produce toxins that can be transferred to humans through the consumption of mussels, oysters, crustaceans and fish.
Marine toxins threaten both human health and food safety.
Different syndromes caused by microalgae have been identified, the most relevant for the Caribbean are:
Syndrome
Acronym
Main responsible species
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
CFP
Gambierdiscus sp
Diarrheic Shellfish poisoning
DSP
Dinophysis sp
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
PSP
Gymnodium sp

5. What is the cost of the HABs?
Over the past two decades marine intoxication appears to have increased in frequency, intensity and geographic distribution.
These must be a warning sign that requires better understanding and recognition through multidisciplinary research to fill information gaps.
The economic damage can be estimated only for some activities: Fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, desalination plants, sources of drinking water, cost of monitoring and training programs.
CONSERVATIVE cost of HABs (Bernard et al., 2014):
USA ± US$ 95 millions
Europa > US$ 850 millions
Japón > US$ 1 billion

6. Ciguatera
Ciguatera is a seafood-borne illness caused by the consumption of fish that have accumulated ciguatoxins.
Between , the average annual incidence of ciguatera have increased in 32% in the Caribbean.
There are several hypotheses to explain the production of ciguatoxins:
Increase in ocean temperature.
Increase of nutrients.
Coral bleaching and damage to coral reefs.
Between 25,000 and 500,000 cases of Ciguatera are recorded annually in the world, which is why it is considered a pandemic in tropical and subtropical regions.

7. Ciguatera
The severity of the possible impacts of ciguatera on tourism and public health in the Caribbean is little known.
However, considering that:
The Caribbean development model is mainly based on tourism. Income tourism reported more than $ 25 billion dollars a year.
2. Fishing is an important source of protein for the communities. More than 116 million people is living in the Caribbean coast.
3. Ciguatera can be a development problem which could also increase with climate change.
It is strategic to generate information to know about the appearance of toxic dinoflagellates and describe their temporal variability, thus understanding possible climatic-related patterns.

8. What is being done to deal with HABs?
IOC - UNESCO has created "The harmful algae bloom programme", composed by an IPHAB and regional working groups.
IOCARIBE ANCA working group was created in 1998 and the main objective:
Improve knowledge about HABs, as well as the capacity to respond to their different impacts on society.
IOC has provided training to the countries of different regions on environmental issues, which highlights several aspects related to Harmful Algal Blooms.
Information related to experts, publications, training opportunities, meetings:

9. Information Tools
IOC - UNESCO developed an online database of HABs (HAEDAT) for different regions of the world.
HAEDAT is managed by IODE (International exchange of oceanographic data and information).
HAEDAT feeds on the focal points of each country, based on monitoring programs, reports and scientific papers.
Other databases of great importance such as CAREC (Caribbean Epidemiology Center).

10. 54 dead in 30 years, almost 2 deaths per year!
How many HAB events did we have in the Caribbean during the last six decades?
Using HAEDAT, the ANCA group reported, for the global status report, 131 historical records of HAB from 1956 to July 2018.
Total HAB events = 131
Non-toxic events = 71 (54%)
Toxic events = 60 (46%)
Cases with human intoxications = 16
Year
Country
# Intoxicated
# Dead
1977
Venezuela
257 10
1979
Mexico 3
1987
Guatemala
187 26
1989 99
1996
Cuba
250 2
2000
Costa Rica & Mexico
300
2002
280
2006
285
2007 40
54 dead in 30 years,
almost 2 deaths per year!

11. What other impacts have been caused by HAB events in the Caribbean?
Non-toxic events = 71
Year
Country
Impact
1971
Colombia
Massive death of fish
1985
Guatemala
1994
1995
1997
1998
2006
El Salvador
Death of turtles
Nicaragua
Panama
Massive death of fish and turtles
2007
Mexico
Massive death of fish, turtles and dolphins

12. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning CFP
What toxins produced by marine microalgae do we have in the Caribbean?
The 60 toxic records are associated to 4 syndromes:
Syndrome
Acronym
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
CFP
Diarrheic Shellfish poisoning
DSP
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
PSP
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
ASP

13. Do we have particular areas with the highest incidence of HABs in the Caribbean?

14. Highest incidence of Ciguatera in the eastern Caribbean.
Ciguatera Incidence /100,000
CAREC (Caribbean Epidemiology Centre) countries.
Ciguatera Distribution
From1980 to 2010 there were cases of ciguatera in 18 countries of the region, with an average annual incidence of 42/
The number of cases represents a threat because the average annual incidence has increased by 32%.
Highest incidence of Ciguatera in the eastern Caribbean.

15. HAB records increased from 90s, although not continuously.
Is there any trend for harmful algal blooms in the Caribbean region?
HAB records increased from 90s, although not continuously.
There are years in which there have been no records.

16. Decadal trends of HAB events in ANCA region
Final Considerations
During the last two decades, the number of HABs in the Caribbean has doubled, going from 36 events between 2000 and 2010 to 74 between 2010 and 2018.
This increase is worrying considering the negative impacts of HABs.
There is a need to strengthen the existing research and monitoring programs and establish them in the countries that still require it.
A greater commitment of the countries is expected to face HABs in the Caribbean.
Decadal trends of HAB events in ANCA region
from 1956 to 2018

17. Thank you!