Musée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

IAEA research, development and capacity building for improved ciguatera

managementMarie-Yasmine DECHRAOUI BOTTEIN

International Atomic Energy AgencyEnvironment Laboratories, Monaco

REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR BENTHIC HABSMUSÉE OCÉANOGRAPHIQUE - MONACO, 9 -12 APRIL 2018

World’s Health, Wellbeing and Economy

Primary producers

Phytoplankton

Carnivorousconsumers

Herbivorousconsumers

Topcarnivorous

At the foundation of the marine food web Produce 50% and 85% of the world's oxygen

~2% of the thousands of species are harmful and/or toxic

Marine ResourcesFood, Energy, Leisure/Tourism, Economic Development

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

CFP from contaminated

seafood

LD50 =0.25- 0.28 mg/kg

P-CTX-1

Ciguatera 50,000 to 100,000cases/year

Modified from Woods Hole distribution world map of CFP (2016)

Ciguatera and associated neurotoxins (ciguatoxins)

Ciguatera, a global human health and economical problemResearch and capacity building to respond to the increasing needs and demand from developing countries for improved toxic HAB management

In 2016, TC projects involved more than half of IAEA coastal Member States

SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources14.2: manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems14.8: increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Research & Development and Capacity Building

• Toxic organism monitoring in the environment• Sampling strategies• Species identification

• Toxin levels in food• Seafood sampling strategies• Validated method of analysis• Certified reference material• Guidance or establishment of permitted levels• Better understanding of toxin food web transfer

• Epidemiological data • Case collection, reporting and assessments• Diagnosis tools and treatment

Ciguatera 50,000 to 100,000cases/year

CFP from contaminated

seafood

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Research: Trophic transfer of ciguatoxins

• Knowing what species is present, how much toxins they produce?• Understanding of CTX trophic transfer is based on field sampling and analysis of tissue toxin

concentrations - Mechanisms not well-understood: ?• Essential to connect algal dynamics on the reef and ciguatera risk• Controversies (e.g. toxicity and size, species-specific patterns or

location-specific patterns)

CFP from contaminated

seafood

3 months

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

First species identification of Gambierdiscus in Cuba

Lisbet Asencio (Cuba)

Delfin

ario

n=2

3

Hotel

n=1

3

Guajim

ico

n=24

Costa

n=6

G. caribaeus G. belizeanus G. carpenteri G. carolinianus G. ruetzleri G. Silvae

Field Sample X X X X X X

Culture X X X

Species-specific quantitative PCR analysis (M. Vandersea, Wayne Littaker, Pat tester)

SEM morphological identification (S. Fraga)

Collected 60 fish from various trophic levels: CTX analyzed by RBA (trophic transfer study and preparation of fish matrix reference material)

CTX dietary exposure Surgeonfish Naso brevirostrisBarbara Losen (MS), Rachel Clausing (JPO)

Naso brevirostrisjuvenile surgeonfish

Juvenile fish fed with 6% bw gel food

Dose (daily, 16 weeks): 89 cells/g fish/day 0.4 ng PCTX3C/g fish

Control: gel food onlyG. Polynesiensis

H. TB-92

- Consumption of food in less than 15 minutes

- No signs of intoxication (Normal gill movement, swimming)

Food: 1,300 cell/gr food

Clausing et al, submitted

Fish accumulate toxin at linear rate

• ~2% rate of dietary accumulation

• Pronounced somatic growth dilution

• Bioconcentration > in slower vs faster growing fish

Implication for SEAFOOD SAFETY

Method development and validation

• Based on CTX pharmacological properties for their target molecule, it presents a high sensitivity and specificity to assess overall toxic activity in phytoplankton or seafood products

• Similar to the AOAC validated STX-RBA, eeasily transferable

• RBA: rapid (3 hr) and high throughput

• Extraction: 2 days process

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Capacity building: Training and equipmentSample prep and CTX detection 17 Fellowship/Scientific Visit 4 Training Course, 8 expert missions (2015-17)

Costa Rica

French PolynesiaOman

Provision of equipmentSampling, identification, isolation, and culture of toxin producing Gambierdiscus spp

• 7 training courses (2015-17)

French Polynesia

Kenya Dominica Rep

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Capacity building:Production of training material and manualSample collection and processing

Epidemiology

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Gatti et al. in preparation

Network of data providers

42 MSs trained on sampling and identification of toxic phytoplankton 16 MSs equipped with the RBA for CTX (and STX) detection -> not all are operational yet Surveillance of ciguatera cases

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Interagency Global Ciguatera StrategyFAO, IOC, WHO and IAEA

• Improve organism detection and sampling strategies

• Improve toxin detection

• Improve epidemiological data collection, reporting and assessments.

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

Other Cooperation• Collaborating centre for HAB studies Philippine Nuclear Research Institute

• NOAA: practical arrangement

• Malarde Institute in French Polynesia: Cooperation agreement on the subject of Research on Impacts of harmful algal blooms and contaminants on marine ecosystems and seafood safety

• RAMOGE Agreement - FAO - WHO

REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR BENTHIC HABSMUSÉE OCÉANOGRAPHIQUE - MONACO, 9 -12 APRIL 2018

Conclusions International efforts for development Toxic organism monitoring in the environment

Gloabal Network of data providers => new information on Gambierdiscus and associated ciguatoxins are being produced that will improve Organisms monitoring and Risk Forecasting First study on Gambierdiscus and associated toxins in Cuba

Toxin levels in food A Receptor Binding Assay was optimized. First experimental food web transfer study that demonstrates continued bioaccumulation of

ciguatoxin in an herbivorous fish, masked by somatic growth dilution (Notably, fish showed levels of toxin above that required for human intoxication after only 2 weeks)

Study on next trophic level (carnivorous) should follow Single lab and inter-laboratory validation process should follow Need for certified reference material

Epidemiological data Preparation of a guide for the establishment of surveillance program

• IAEA (NAEL and TCP)Rachel ClausingBarbara LosenFrancois R. Oberhaensli

• Institut Louis Malardé (FP)Mireille ChinainClemence Gatti

• CEAC (Cuba)Lisbet AsencioCarlos Alonso• Ifremer (France)Manoella SibatPhilipp Hess

• NOAA (USA)Pat TesterWayne LittakerMark Vandersea

• IOC, WHO, FAO

Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABsMusée océanographique - Monaco, 9th to 12th April

- ILM: Agreement between the IAEA-Environment Laboratories and ILM concerning extra budgetary contribution for the experimental assessment of ciguatera toxins’ toxicokinetics and dynamics in fish (Contrat Etat Pays)

- USA funded Junior Professional Officer

- Peaceful Use Initiative (USA)

- Government of the Principality of Monaco for the support provided to its Environment Laboratories

Thank you!