Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algae:
A National Plan
I. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the incidence of harmful algal blooms (sometimes called "red tides")
has increased in frequency, severity, and duration, both nationally and globally
(Anderson, 1989; Smayda, 1990). These episodes are not attributable to a single
algal class but rather to a variety of physiologically diverse species. Some have long been
recognized as problem species, others have previously been considered harmless, and
still others were unknown to science until their initial outbreaks. The causes for
this apparent expansion are unknown, but some believe that human alteration of the water
quality of the coastal zone is an important factor (Smayda, 1990).
Economic losses in the United States total millions of dollars per year, and include
the cost of toxin monitoring programs, closures of harvestable shellfish resources,
mortalities of wild and farmed fish and shellfish, and the value of resources that
are not exploited or developed because of the presence or threat of toxic outbreaks. The
United States has managed these threatened resources through state-run toxin monitoring
programs and harvesting restrictions. Federal agencies have provided relatively
minor and often unsustained research support for local or regional studies, and state
support has been even smaller and more sporadic. Research teams have made some progress
in developing methodologies for toxin analysis, in understanding the structure and
pharmacology of certain toxins, in investigating the physiology of toxin production
in algae and depuration from shellfish, and in documenting the abundance and distribution
of certain harmful species during blooms. Despite these efforts, however, we remain woefully ignorant of the complex mechanisms underlying the growth and accumulation
of individual algal species in blooms, the transfer and fate of toxins through the
food chain, and perhaps most disturbingly, the influence of human activities on these
processes. Also lacking are many of the tools needed for efficient management of potentially
toxic fish or shellfish. In particular, sensitive, rapid alternative assay methods
are needed for dockside or market-place testing.
The United States lags far behind many other countries in its approach to the management
of problems caused by harmful algae and marine biotoxins. Canada, France, Norway,
Sweden, China, and others have coordinated national research programs that include
workshops or meetings to exchange results and search for solutions to common problems,
sustained funding in directions identified as being of high priority, and continual
re-evaluation of progress and plans for the future. The United States, in contrast,
has had only small, fragmented research programs carried out by individual investigators,
with small budgets that are rarely sustained through time. Thus, there is often insufficient
communication between U.S. workers and no coordination of activities with respect to national priorities.
The shortfall in our ability to understand and manage these growing problems was reflected
in fiscal years `91 and `92 priorities for Saltonstall-Kennedy funded research published
in the Federal Register, many of which related to marine biotoxins. This emphasis on biotoxins is but one manifestation of the growing awareness that more of
our national resources must be focused on this topic. During the past several years,
other federal agencies have announced specific coastal research initiatives, some
of which could, and should, include components on marine biotoxins and harmful algae. It is disturbing to recognize that these initiatives are targeting a field that historically
has been fragmented, uncoordinated, and poorly funded. Sound input is urgently needed
from scientists, industry, and regulatory officials to keep these new research initiatives focused on high priority, productive endeavors. Thus, the primary
goal of this workshop was to formulate a National Plan, consisting of a series of
recommendations intended to address the major impediments to progress in the management
of, and scientific research on, harmful marine algae and associated toxins.
The participants formulated the following overall goal and objectives for a National Plan on Harmful Algae and Marine Biotoxins
:
GOAL
: Effective management of fisheries, public health, and ecosystem problems related
to marine biotoxins and harmful algae.
OBJECTIVES:
- To isolate toxins and their natural derivatives, and characterize their chemical structures
and pharmacological action.
- To develop specific tests based on the unique chemistry and/or pharmacology of individual
toxins.
- To develop forecasting capabilities for the occurrence and impacts of harmful marine
algal blooms.
- To determine the source, fate, and consequences of algal toxins in marine foodwebs
and fisheries.
- To develop management and mitigation strategies to minimize the impacts of marine
biotoxins and harmful algae.
- To identify and improve access to databases for bloom incidence, toxin occurrence
in shellfish, mass mortality events, and epidemiology.
- To develop communication programs that incorporate educational and public health materials,
electronic communication and on-site training.
- To provide for rapid response to toxic and otherwise harmful marine algal outbreaks.