CritiCal Condition: oCean HealtH and Human HealtH

CritiCal Condition: oCean HealtH and

Human HealtH

This Report Is Part Of The Ocean On The Edge Series Produced By The Aquarium Of The Pacific As Products Of Its National Conference—ocean on the edge: top ocean issues, may 2009

We need to Save the ocean—our lives depend on it

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The conference brought together leading marine scientists and engineers, policy-makers, film-makers, exhibit designers, informal science educators, journalists and communicators to develop a portfolio of models for communicating major ocean issues to the public. This report is one of a series of reports from that conference. The reports include: Coastal Hazards, Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries, Pollution in the Ocean, and Critical Condition: Ocean Health and Human Health. There is also a series of briefer reports on film-making, kiosk messaging design, and communicating science to the public. All reports are available at www.aquariumofpacific.org

Ocean on the Edge: Top Ocean IssuesMaking Ocean Issues Come Alive for the Public


Support for the “Ocean on the Edge Confer-ence: Top Ocean Issues” was provided by NOAA, the National Science Foundation, Southern California Edison, SAVOR, the Long Beach Convention Center, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

We are grateful to the Conference’s National Advisory Panel that provided valuable guid-ance in selecting participants and in review-ing sections of this report.

This report is based very loosely on the re-port, “Oceans and Human Health” published by the National Academies in their Ocean Science Series which formed the starting point of discussion at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Conference, “Ocean on the Edge: Top Ocean Issues” held in May 2009, at Long Beach Convention Center. Co-facilitators of Ocean Health and Human Health work-shop session were; Dr. Paul Sandifer and Dr.

Kathleen Frith. Participants included: Tom Bowman, James Cortina, Paulynn Cue, Dr. Alistair Dove, Dr. Susan Kirch, Shaun MacGil-livray, Dr. Ed Maibach, Dr. Michael Mann, Dr. Richard Pieper, James Thebaut, Cynthia Vernon, Bill Waterhouse, and aquarium staff Andrew Gruel, Barbara Long, Bruce Monroe. Kim Moore and Lisa Leof were the rappor-teurs.

Major written contributions to the report came from the original report, Dr. Paul San-difer, Dr. Kathleen Frith, Dr. Alistair Dove, Dr. Richard Pieper , with contributions from Karen Setty. This report was facilitated by Kim Moore.

The report was reviewed by Dr. Paul Sandifer, Dr. Gerald Esch, Dr. Tracy Collier, Carolyn Sotka, and Juli Trtanj.

Acknowledgements

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D. James Baker

Tom Bowman

John Byrne

Michael Connor

James Cortina

Joseph Cortina

Robert Dalrymple

Lynn Dierking

William Eichbaum

John Falk

Alan Friedman

Martha Grabowski

Mary Nichol

William Patzert

Shirley Pomponi

William Reeburgh

Jonathan Sharp

National Advisory Panel


Introduction: Critical Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Our health and well-being depends on the health of the ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The health of the ocean is in serious decline because of our (human) activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Global climate change and ocean acidification and increase in human population moving to the coasts are making all these problems worse.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Critical Problems and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

We are making a critical source of food unsafe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

We are depleting one of the world’s most important sources of protein. . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

We are contaminating major sources of drinking water along the coast and in the Great Lakes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

We are rapidly destroying our best source of new medicine.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

We are despoiling our most beloved places.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

What Is Being Done to Protect Human Health from These Threats? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

What More Can We Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Recommended Additional References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Communication Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Citations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Conference Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Table of Contents


Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population lives on or within 100 miles of a coastline. Estimates are that in three decades nearly 75 percent of the world’s population will live along coasts. Yet whether we live at the beach, in a coastal community, or in the center of the country, we all depend, either directly or indirectly, on a healthy ocean.

Humans and societies across the globe con-tinue to rely on a healthy ocean for many of our needs. The ocean moderates our climate and produces much of our oxygen. Each day, billions of people depend on the harvest of the ocean as a source of protein. We use the ocean for transporting our goods, for our rec-reation, cultural richness, and for our econ-omy. And more and more we are turning to the ocean for pharmaceuticals and as a poten-tial source for energy and drinking water.

However, in addition to the rich resources the ocean provides us, the ocean also harbors risks to human health through consumption and exposure to biotoxins, chemical contami-nants, and disease-causing microorganisms in our seafood, water, and air. Moreover, ocean acidification from rising levels of CO2 may interact with these toxins in ways that further increase risk. Additionally storms, hurri-canes, and a rising sea level threaten property and lives.

Introduction

Our health and well-being depends on the health of the ocean .


Humans have considered the ocean a vast and endless resource, yet with human activi-ties, such as agriculture, fishing, industrial production, burning of fossil fuels, and oth-ers, the health of the very ocean we depend on suffers and in turn threatens human health.

The health of the ocean is in serious decline because of our (human) activities .

Global climate change and ocean acidification and increase in human population moving to the coasts are making all these problems worse .

An early and significant impact of global climate change is likely to be increased hu-man health risks, including those from ocean sources. We already know that climatic factors influence (a) the growth, survival, persistence, distribution, transmission, and virulence of ocean-borne, disease-causing microbes and harmful algal blooms (HABs), (b) the distribution, concentrations, and bioaccumulation of chemical contaminants in coastal and ocean waters, and (c) the distribution of ocean-associated disease vec-tors. We are learning more and more every day about how global climate change and associated changes in temperature, precipi-tation and runoff patterns, intensification

of droughts, changes in salinity, shifts in ocean currents, ocean acidification and other factors will impact ocean ecosystems and exacerbate health threats. In addition, there is growing concern about the potential for transmission of diseases from marine organ-isms to humans and vice versa.

The continued rapid growth of human popu-lation and its concentration along our coasts increases the likelihood of human exposures to ocean-associated health risks. And with higher densities of human populations living at the coasts, there is even greater impact of human activities on the health of the ocean.


Why is it important?

Fish and shellfish are a primary source of protein for more than one billion people.1 They contribute more animal protein for human consumption than beef and poultry combined and are also lower in saturated fat. Additionally, fish and shellfish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids that offer a number of health benefits, and increasingly seafood is recommended as part of a healthy diet.

What is the problem?

When human activities introduce contami-nants into the ocean, such as through sewage or agricultural run-off, or through airborne deposition of mercury and carbon from burning fossil fuels, they create conditions that can poison this critical food supply or decrease its availability. Additionally, burn-ing fossil fuels is linked to climate change and resulting changes in sea temperature and acidity which can affect the range, distribu-tion, and virulence of diseases.

Seafood is also known to pose health risks to humans if it is contaminated with pathogens or biotoxins, or heavy metals, organic pol-lutants, and chemicals of emerging concern (CECs).2 Some of these contaminants can

move up through the food web, transferring dangerous substances to fish, birds, aquatic mammals, and, ultimately, humans. Many of these toxins also increase in concentra-tion in the animals as they move up the food chain (bioaccumulation or biomagni-fication). The ocean is also home to several types of disease-causing viruses and bacteria that make people sick when they eat tainted seafood.3

Critical Problems and Conditions

We are making a critical source of food unsafe


Marine BiotoxinsThrough photosynthesis, tiny organisms called phytoplankton grow and form the base of marine food webs. When condi-tions are right the phytoplankton rapidly increase in numbers and biomass. These “blooms” usually occur in the spring and in most cases this rapid increase in numbers is beneficial for fishes and the rest of the food chain. Some algal species, however, produce substances that are toxic to humans.4 These Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) can be found in most of the world’s oceans at different times and from different species. Although naturally occurring, some of the observed increases in frequency, duration and inten-sity of blooms may be the result of human-induced changes to the oceans, including cli-mate change. Rising temperatures, together with increased nutrient loading (nitrogen, phosphates, sulfur) from land sources such as fertilizers in run-off, may also be leading to earlier occurrences and longer lasting blooms of HAB organisms.

Shellfish, such as clams, mussels, and oysters, can pose a threat to human consumers because these organisms filter large volumes

of water as they feed and, as a result, can rapidly concentrate harmful algal toxins in their tissues. In some cases, a single clam can accumulate enough toxin, which cannot be destroyed through cooking or traditional methods of preparation, to be deadly to a human consumer. Shellfish poisonings that are known to occur in the U.S. include neu-rotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), and diarrhetic shellfish poi-soning (DSP).5 Many past HABs have been associated with red tides because of water discoloration from the high numbers of di-noflagellates. More recently, diatom blooms (which do not change the water color) have produced toxins which have caused major problems for dolphins, sea lions, marine birds, and humans.

Toxin levels in California and many other states are monitored by the Department of Health. When toxin levels are above a threshold, fishing and collecting certain fish and shellfish is prohibited. There is a similar warning about consumption of these fish and shellfish.

“Red tides” are a discoloration of the water from high concentrations of dinoflagellates

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Domoic acid

Pseudo-ntizchia spp. are a group of phyto-plankton that can produce domoic acid.

Domoic acid—a naturally occurring nerve toxin—has killed hundreds of sea lions and birds along the southern and central California coast.

In 2002, an estimated 200,000 California seal lions lived in the waters off of Califor-nia. In that same year, 685 California sea lion deaths were documented because of domoic acid poisoning.

Scientists discovered domoic acid in the late 1980s, but they still do not under-stand why or when the harmful algal blooms occur, or when those blooms will be toxic. They do know that toxic algae accumulate in the sea lions’ food—ancho-vies, sardines, and other sea life. When sea lions eat the poisoned food, they get sick. Unfortunately, there is no antidote for domoic acid poisoning.

Domoic acid damages the part of the sea lion’s brain called the hippocampus,

which controls memory and navigation. Symptoms of a sick sea lion include head weaving, bobbing, bulging eyes, mucus at the mouth, vomiting, disorientation, and even seizures. Pregnant female sea lions and pups are most susceptible to domoic acid poisoning.

Does domoic acid make humans sick?

Yes. Humans can get sick when they eat contaminated fish, shellfish or crab. Significant amounts of domoic acid can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). Symptoms of ASP include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps within 24 hours of ingestion. In more severe cases, neurologi-cal symptoms develop within 48 hours and include headache, dizziness, confu-sion, permanent memory loss, seizures, coma, and sometimes death. There is no antidote for ASP.

Vibrio infectionsIn the U.S., there are approximately 25,000 cases of food-borne disease that require hos-pitalization every year. Waterborne bacterial pathogens may be the cause of as many as half of these cases. The majority of seafood-related bacterial infections in humans are due to Vibrio species, bacteria that can cause severe gastroenteritis in healthy individu-als who consume affected shellfish.6 In the U.S., the most common Vibrio infections are caused by Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and these infections occur most frequently in the Gulf Coast and Pacific Northwest regions.

According to the CDC, about 59 percent of all Vibrio infections in this country are

food-borne. Of these, 64 percent are directly linked to the consumption of oysters. The CDC suggests that people should avoid harvesting and consuming of shellfish dur-ing warmer weather, when disease-causing bacteria are more likely to be present. It also suggests that people should thoroughly cook oysters and use technologies such as irradia-tion and pasteurization to eliminate Vibrio in shellfish.7

The Climate Change Science Program noted a strong association between sea surface temperature and proliferation of species of Vibrio bacteria and suggested that rising temperatures would likely lead to increased occurrence of disease associated with these bacteria.

Domoic acid poisoning sickens and kills California Sea Lions


Vibrio infections

Vibrio spp. are a group of bacteria which are com-monly found in brackish or estuarine waters that have the ability to infect humans. The most prevalent human pathogenic Vibrio is V. chol-erae, the cause of the diar-rheal disease cholera. While cholera is usually contracted by drinking contaminated water, other Vibrios infect people after eating raw or poorly cooked seafood, such as raw oysters or fish. One of these bacteria, V. parahaemo-lyticus, is the most common cause of bacterial-related sea-food poisoning and causes a serious yet self-limiting

gastroenteritis, with symptoms of nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Although more rare, infections caused by V. vulnifi-cus are life-threatening. People with un-derlying liver disease or are immunocom-promised who then consume raw oysters harvested from warmer climates (like the Gulf Coast area) are at risk for V. vulnifi-cus infections. The symptoms range from severe gastroenteritis to septicemic shock, necrotizing fasciitis, and death. About half of all V. vulnificus infections are fatal. In addition both of these species can cause serious and sometimes deadly wound in-fections. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there were at least two deaths caused by V. vulnificus and one by V. parahaemolyticus after exposure to contaminated water.

While seafood-borne infections caused by Vibrios are generally restricted to people who eat shellfish harvested from the U. S. Gulf Coast, Chesapeake Bay, or the Pacific Northwest, climate change resulting in el-evated water temperature can increase this range. In 2004, an unprecedented out-break of V. parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis occurred in Alaska with more than 400 confirmed cases, when cruise ship passen-gers ate raw oysters harvested from Prince William Sound (McLaughlin et al., 2005). Increased water temperature was consid-ered to be a major factor in the emergence of V. parahaemolyticus in Alaska, as the summer of 2004 was exceptionally warm with water temperature remaining above 15ºC over a two month period.

Ref: McLaughlin, J.B., DePaola, A., Bopp, C.A.,

Martinek, K.A., Napolilli, N.P., Allison, C.G., Mur-

ray, S.L., Thompson, E.C., Bird, M.M., Middaugh,

J.P. 2005. Outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

gastroenteritis associated with Alaskan oysters.

New England Journal of Medicine, 353: 1463-

1470.


MethylmercuryMercury is released into the air naturally, such as by volcanic activity, but also when large quantities of coal and other fuels containing trace amounts of the element are burned, from the incineration of mercury-containing medical wastes, and from other human-induced sources. Ultimately, that mercury rains down into lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Once deposited in sediments, mercury may be converted by aquatic organ-isms into methylmercury, a more toxic form of the element. 8

Exposure to methylmercury varies according to the kind of fish consumed and the region where the fish originate. Because methylmer-cury accumulates up the food web, higher concentrations are found in large fish (tuna and swordfish, for example) that are at higher levels on the food chain. Freshwater fish, including bass, walleye, and pickerel from sources in the U.S. can also contain sig-nificant concentrations of mercury as a result of airborne contamination.9

The vast majority of Americans are not exposed to unsafe levels of methylmercury, but pregnant women who consume large amounts of predatory fish (e.g., swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel) may ex-pose their developing fetuses to it. Prenatal exposures that exceed the established safe

“reference dose” can cause an IQ deficit; abnormal muscle tone; or impaired motor function, attention, and visual spatial perfor-mance in the child.10

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)Contaminants of emerg-ing concern (CECs), such as drugs used to treat diseases in humans and animals, hormones, flame retardants, stain repellants, non-stick coatings, and pesticides, are finding their way into the marine environment. Many such compounds are accu-mulating in coastal waters, appear to be persistent, and some are concentrated as they move up the food chain. Possible effects on marine organisms include cancer; impacts to reproductive physiology, early develop-ment, immune function, and metabolism; and other species-specific effects that could impair a healthy ecosystem. The health ef-fects of human exposures to these chemicals via the complex circulation of environmental contaminants through air and water are not well understood and a coordinated approach to assessing the effects of these exposures is needed.11

Endocrine disruptors are CECs that interfere with the body’s endocrine system and pro-duce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife. Research suggests that they pose the greatest risk during both pre- and postnatal development when organ and neural systems are forming.



More than 40 million people around the world depend on fishing or fish farming for their livelihoods—a number that has more than tripled since 1970. The vast majority of these people are working in developing coun-tries, where fishing and aquaculture consti-tute the economic backbone of many coastal areas. Their efforts now bring in more than 141 million tons of seafood per year.12


OverfishingOver the past 50 years the art of fishing has been mastered to the point that the ability to extract fish has outpaced the ability of nature to replenish itself. Modern technology such as global positioning systems, sophisticated fishing gear, sonar, factory ships, and heli-copter spotting has proven to be so effective that the global ocean is over-harvested to the point that many are predicting extinction of most of the large species. It is estimated that over 70 percent of fish stocks are overfished or fully exploited and 90 percent of large predatory fishes such as tuna, swordfish, and

Atlantic cod are gone, throwing off the bal-ance of ecosystems and putting much of the marine ecosystem at risk. The cost our suc-cess in catching finfish and shellfish is dev-astating in many ways. Whether measured in environmental degradation or the impact on biological degradation or the economic consequences, the demand for seafood comes with a price tag higher than most of the public realizes.

By-CatchFishing not only takes the desired species but also unintentionally captures fish and other marine animals that may be killed or severely injured as a result. Such unwanted species are referred to as “by-catch.” Although in most fisheries at least some by-catch is kept or recorded in official landing statistics, most by-catch is discarded before it can be record-ed. In some fisheries, much of the by-catch includes commercial fish that are below market size. In such cases, the by-catch is not only wasteful—it can deplete the fishery of larger, older fish. For example, in the Gulf of Mexico, the shrimp trawl fishery presents the

largest human threat to survival of juvenile red snapper. In this case, management of the red snapper fishery must include implementing solutions to reduce snapper by-catch from shrimp trawls.

Economic DependencyFisheries have played a long historical, cultural, and eco-nomic role in coastal communi-ties. For many, fishing isn’t just a job—it’s a lifestyle. Com-mercial and recreational fishers alike have deep cultural, social, and financial ties to fishing. Fisheries management strate-gies affect not only how many fish are allowed to be caught but also who gets what share

We are depleting one of the world’s most important sources of protein .


of the total catch. Changes in management practices or decreases in fish populations can have dire consequences for employment and economic stability in coastal areas as evidenced by the closure of salmon fish-ing off the California coast for the past two years. Just as marine species are intimately interconnected in marine ecosystems, the different fishing sectors (such as commercial/recreational, or trawlers/ hook and line) have overlapping and competing interests in regu-latory decisions.

Depleting Stocks through Ecosystem Degradation – Disease/Invasive SpeciesOcean resources are under intense pressure to satisfy expanding demands because of population growth and globalization. Many valuable fisheries around the world have col-

lapsed, invasive species have disrupted ma-rine food webs, and an increasing number of species are in danger of extinction as a result of human activities. Changes such as habitat loss and degradation pose significant threats to marine life, while climate change has the potential to modify entire marine ecosystems and intensify the impacts of other negative influences. The ocean’s ability to continue to sustain the multibillion dollar industries it supports is increasingly uncertain.

Lobsters in the Gulf of Maine

A perfect storm of environmental and economic factors has led to several inten-tional boat sinkings, gear molestation in the form of cut off buoys and indeed a near fatal shooting incident on Matini-cus Island. In a recent conversation with a lobsterman he told of the hardships facing the families on this coast that rely on this fishery. With an ironical smile he told me that the boat price for lobsters at $2.25 a pound is the same as it was 20 years ago while the price of a barrel of bait at $30.00 is $25.00 more than it was then. Some fisherman are using other forms of bait in search of something less expensive, I recently ran into a lobsterman buying Alewives instead of the usual herring, also catfish heads from the aquaculture opera-tions down south are being used. Add to that the rise in fuel prices and the over-crowding of the fishery and you have the makings of an unsustainable lifestyle in a traditionally very well managed fishery. So far in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine there is no sign of the diseases that seem to be cropping up further south off Long

Island. So why is bait so expensive? In short, the herring population is shrink-ing. In a June 3, 2010 article in the Bangor Daily News, the situation is described this way, “By limiting herring fishing to two days a week in June, July and Au-gust, it has reduced the possibility that too much of the quota would be caught before Oct. 1….Fishery officials in Maine estimate that this likely will mean that only 20,000 metric tons of herring can be caught in the inner gulf of Maine next year. This means the state’s lobster indus-try, which generally uses about 60,000 metric tons of herring and other fish for bait each year, will be faced with finding a significant new source of bait” As for the low boat price, that seems to be the result of supply and demand. The numbers of lobsters brought in remains high creating a glut on the market. One only has to go out on the water in the bays of Maine to see first hand the huge numbers of buoys out there. I’ve heard it described as a form of aquaculture with each trap being a feeding station.

–Anthony Liss



Shared by the U. S. and Canada, the Great Lakes comprise the largest system of fresh water lakes in the world. They represent 95% of the surface freshwater in the contiguous United States and have more total coast-line than the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the contiguous states combined. Although important, as other coastal areas are, for recreation and tourism, fisheries, transporta-tion, and cultural values, the Great Lakes also provide drinking water for 40 million people.


A variety of contaminants can adversely im-pact drinking water, including microorgan-isms such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, non-point source runoff, or wildlife.

Surface drinking water supplies also can be contaminated by chemical and microbial contamination from runoff, non-point and point source discharges, and harmful algal blooms, particularly of cynaobacteria which may produce a toxin harmful to animals and humans. Emerging chemicals, including hu-man- and animal-use drugs, as well as legacy chemicals such as heavy metals and PCBs, are also of concern. And increasing runoff of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, magnify the already substantial problem of harmful algal blooms, putting both beach goers and drinking water supplies in jeopardy. Similar-ly, coastal aquifers and surface water supplies may be subject to saltwater intrusion, render-ing them potentially unfit for drinking water use. Sea level rise associated with global climate change may exacerbate this situation.

We are contaminating major sources of drinking water along the coast and in the Great Lakes .

Lake Superior North Shore


Groundwater contamination at South Bass Island

A major tourist destination of Lake Erie, South Bass Island, also known as the “Key West of the Midwest,” was the source of groundwater con-tamination that sickened 1,450 people during summer 2004. A scientific team sampled 16 drinking water wells on the Island and found the groundwater contaminated with multiple fecal-associated pathogens. The research-ers developed and implemented a Lake Erie hydrodynamic model that showed a complex water movement pattern around the Island preceding

and during the time of the outbreaks. Analyses of model runs demonstrated the massive contamination of drink-ing water wells resulted from heavy rains in May 2004 that contributed to higher groundwater levels, coupled with unique water movements which transported sewage and pathogens from public and private sewage treat-ment systems to drinking water wells. As a result of this investigation, the Ohio EPA and Department of Health are addressing the wastewater issue and supplying the Island with fully treated drinking water.



Most drugs used today to pro-mote human health are mod-eled after bioactive compounds discovered in nature. The Pacific yew tree, for example, has provided us with taxol, one of the most effective and widely used breast cancer treat-ments available today. Recent-ly, scientists have discovered an unprecedented number of bioactive agents in the marine environment that can be used to develop human medicines

and provide medical breakthroughs.

Two well studied examples include sponges and cone snails. Anchored to the seafloor, a sponge protects itself by creating and using an array of chemical compounds to keep pathogens and predators at bay. These include antibiotics, anti-foulants, and anti-fungals, as well as some substances that just plain taste bad! An estimated 30 percent of all marine-derived compounds currently be-ing investigated as potential human medi-cines come from sponges and the microbes associated with them 13.

Cone snails dwell in coral reefs and are incredibly diverse, with roughly 700 known species. Each species produces about 100 unique ‘cono-toxins’. One of these conotoxins, zinconotide, has been developed into a painkiller, currently in use, that is 1000 times more potent than morphine. Remarkably, use of zinconotide does not lead to addiction or drug tolerance, two major challenges in the treatment of chronic pain. Scientists estimate that cone snails alone will double the number of medicines derived from natural sources in the near future.

Marine microorganisms are another rich source of new medicines. More than 120 drugs available today came from land-based microbes, and scientists see the largely un-tapped marine-based microbes as a promising source of novel medicines from the sea.14

Marine organisms also serve as models for unraveling the mysteries of basic biochemi-cal and physiological processes. For example, the big purple sea slug offers researchers clues about learning and memory. The toadfish teaches lessons about balance and equilib-rium, while our studies of disease in Pacific salmon are helping us understand how dis-ease moves through human population. The spiny dogfish shark and the horseshoe crab provide a glimpse of the mechanics of vision, and investigations of the effects of pollu-tion on the embryonic fish heart are helping unlock what may trigger heart attacks in humans. Studies of such animals as sea stars, sharks, and sea squirts have enormously enhanced our understanding of how the hu-man body fights diseases.15

Likewise, studying sea urchins has revolu-tionized understanding of how cells divide, which is paving the way for exciting new

We are rapidly destroying our best source of new medicine .


research into the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.16 Fluorescent marine compounds, such as the green fluorescent protein found in squid, are widely used in biomedical re-search to diagnose diseases, to study cellular processes essential to cancer research and to monitor genetic modification of organisms.17

In addition to their value as research tools, a number of marine-derived products are already in use in agriculture, in industry, in cosmetics, and even in nutritional supple-ments. For example, organic fertilizers made from seaweed extract and fish emulsion is used in sustainable agriculture, while an exceptional adhesive made by the com-mon blue mussel Mytilus edulis improves the adherence of paint. An anti-inflammatory chemical from the sea fan is used in Estée Lauder’s skin care product Resilience. A compound called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—a fatty acid essential for proper men-tal and visual function—was discovered in a marine microalga, Cryptocodinium cohnii. This compound currently is marketed as a nutritional supplement in baby formula in more than 60 countries around the world.18 Even many sunscreens currently in use were derived from corals.


However, we are losing access to these medi-cines, models and products even before they are discovered. Coral reef environments, the most diverse environments on our planet, are under unprecedented threat. These environ-ments are threatened by multiple stresses including rising sea surface temperatures due to climate change, pollution, ocean acidifica-tion, and habitat destruction.

We are losing access to medicines even before they are discovered. Coral reefs are under threat.



People love the sea. Whether we sail on it, swim or dive in it, fish it, or just relax on the shore and appreciate it, the ocean is in our veins and we remain inexorably drawn to the water and the organisms that inhabit it. It is perhaps no surprise that a high proportion of our population live in coastal cities and that humans are so involved in marine tourism and recreation. Similarly, we are enchanted by the animals and organisms that make their homes in the oceans and we recognize the uniqueness and intrinsic value of these biodiversity assets. The sea provides for us, heals us and sustains us, but both the sea and its inhab-itants are valuable in and of themselves.


Despite these deep connections, human activities threaten the manifold value of the ocean (and its inhabitants) to our way of life. At the same time, human impacts on ocean environments reduce the intrinsic value of these animals and ecosystems, and diminish a critical part of the cultural heri-tage we leave to future generations.

Poor ecosystem health has significant impacts on coastal community health. Increases in food and water-borne diseases like shellfish poisoning and Vibrio infec-tions directly sicken people in coastal communities. Indirectly, diseases of marine life and poor water quality also affect the quality of life for people that live in coastal areas, closing beaches, shutting down fisheries, and destroying aesthetically important habitats like coral reefs and kelp forests, which otherwise would support vibrant tourism and recreation sectors.

We are despoiling our most beloved places .


Sea otter disease linked to runoff from land

Sea otters are small charismatic marine mammals once hunted extensively for their fur. As a result of dire population de-cline, sea otters were listed as endangered species in 1977 and have successfully begun to rebound. After 1995 though, sea otter numbers began to decline again, spurring investigators to look into the causes. They discovered a new threat from a bizarre source: housecats. Two species of protozoa, Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocys-tis neurona, were identified as important causes of fatal brain infections in otters. Toxoplasma is a protozoan parasite shed only in the feces of cats. A study conduct-ed from 1997 to 2001 found that 42% of live otters and 62% of dead otters showed

signs of Toxoplasma infection, but the incidence in otters near heavy freshwater outflows from land, like storm drains and river mouths, was three times higher than in other areas. While research is ongoing, scientists hypothesize that the pathogen is transferred to the open ocean via land-based runoff. It may then be contracted through water contact or accumulate in filter-feeding shellfish, a prevalent food source for sea otters. Toxoplasma, which attacks brain tissue, causing lesions, de-pression, convulsions, and death, also has the potential to affect harbor seals, spin-ner dolphins, and humans who consume contaminated seafood or drinking water. Unraveling and addressing this issue will be necessary to protect sea otter popula-tions into the future.

Mutagenicity testing of algal toxin mitigates concern about risk of cancer from breathing red tide aerosols in the Gulf of Mexico

NOAA researchers at the Center for Coast-al Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research have shown that the algal toxin, brevetoxin commonly inhaled in sea spray aerosols damages DNA in rats after inhalation; yet fails to cause gene muta-tions. The researchers previously discov-ered an explosion of chemical changes to the toxin upon entering the body with one reaction forming a “superglue-like” epoxy that sticks to the nucleic acid build-ing blocks of DNA in the lungs of rats. However, it was unknown whether the

toxin-nucleic acid adducts would be re-moved and correctly repaired or whether they would persist and form mutations. Fortunately for residents in the Gulf of Mexico, parallel studies using the Ames 98/100 mutagenicity assay determined that the toxin or its reactive metabolites fail to increase the frequency of muta-tions. Red tides in the Gulf of Mexico are common, and often persistent, natu-rally occurring events that release toxins into sea spray aerosols. These aerosols are a particular problem at beaches, as they can cause respiratory distress to lifeguards, beachgoers and many residents. Although these shorter-term effects of the airborne toxin are well characterized, potential longer-term effects remain a concern to health officials and coastal communities.


Beyond the impacts that these changes have on us, there is another dimension of loss, wherein our actions are destroying intrinsi-cally valuable ecosystems. Places like coral reefs, mangroves, and salt marshes, and estu-aries are unique biological entities, ecological systems refined by millions of years of natu-ral selection to provide ecosystem services

to the planet that we are only beginning to understand. Loss of biodiversity may mean that we miss opportunities for new medi-cines, but we may also miss opportunities for wonder and education, diminishing further our engagement with the oceans in a vicious cycle of degradation. Consider the following:

Valued deValueda hyper-diverse coral reef, bursting with color and replete with unique species found nowhere else. a place appreci-ated by millions of tourists and supporting a thriving coastal community

a species-poor algal reef, abandoned by tourism, a coastal community falling into decline.

a pristine beach, where children play in clear blue water a closed beach, where sewage from a Combined Sewer overflow (CSo) laps the sand with bacteria and viruses.

a healthy salt marsh, providing abundant high quality sea-food, serving as a nursery for fisheries and providing peaceful habitats for shore birds and idyllic relaxation

a hardened concrete shoreline, overdeveloped and trickling oil and other pollutants into a closed coastal water, harbor-ing diseased animals not fit for human consumption

a towering kelp forest, providing a playground for otters, whales and colorful garibaldi

a featureless urchin barren

a sheltered bay where visitors and residents alike swim and sail in clear waters

a polluted harbor where boats push through debris and sailors dread capsizing into the toxic surrounds


What Is Being Done to Protect Human Health from These Threats?

We are treating the patient but we need to do a whole lot more to stabilize it . Can we hope for a cure?

Important legislation, reports, and plans de-scribe the national urgency of harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABHRCA (Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act), the Oceans and Human Health Act, and the Ocean Research Priorities Plan, which is not only the first formal interagency ocean research plan, but also includes “Enhancing Human Health” as one of the top priorities for the ocean community, have provided a framework around which research by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-istration (NOAA) is organized to study HABs and their impact.19

In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Beach-es Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act to better protect seashore bathers from harmful pathogens. Of the 4,025 beach-es monitored by the EPA in 2005, 28 percent were affected by advisories or closings.21

In the U.S., testing for coliform bacteria—the bacteria found in human or animal

wastes—constitutes the cornerstone of all monitoring and regulatory programs. This testing has been effective in reducing expo-sure to waterborne disease outbreaks that arise from fecal contamination. However, viral monitoring has not yet been included in the routine water quality tests. The EPA is working to design a water quality test that will identify both bacterial and viral threats and provide results within two hours so that beaches and oyster and clam-producing areas can be temporarily closed in a timely manner whenever necessary.22


Epidemiology, the study of the occurrences of diseases in populations, can be used to identify disease “hot spots.” By investigating what sick people have in common, scientists can often trace the cause of the problem. It

is also important to consider sub-lethal or sub-symptomatic effects that can result from low-level exposure to toxins which are only now being studied and understood.23

Rapid microbiological methods for beach monitoring

California’s beach monitoring programs are the most extensive in the nation, aiming to protect public health among hundreds of thou-sands of annual beach visitors. Con-tact with contaminated beach water can cause a range of health symp-toms like rashes and gastrointestinal illness. The currently used laboratory methods for enumerating indicator bacteria, though, require an 18-96 hour incubation period, which is too slow to keep pace with changes in bacterial levels in the environ-ment. Most sources of beach con-tamination are intermittent, and last less than one day. As a result, an unsafe beach may remain open while samples are being processed, and return to safe conditions by the time laboratory results become available and warning signs can be posted. New molecular technologies are being tested by scientists that would reduce sample processing time and enable managers to make beach warning or clo-sure decisions on the same day a sample is taken. Rather than culturing bacteria over numerous hours, these methods rely on detection of genetic and molecular signals found when bacteria are present in a sample. Much progress has been made in this area over the last few decades,

such that scientists and beach managers in Southern California are preparing to pilot-test the methods at several beaches in Orange County during summer 2010. Soon, beach visitors may encounter elec-tronic signs at beach entrances with near real-time information on whether it is safe to swim. California is leading the nation in research and application of this science to make better health protection a reality.

— Karen Setty


Development of tools to rapidly detect and identify harmful marine organisms24

Scientists at Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) have developed cutting-edge tech-nologies to rapidly detect and determine the source of waterborne pathogens such as E. coli, viruses, and protozoa that can cause disease in humans. Some of these harmful microorganisms are indigenous in coastal waters, while others are intro-duced through agricultural and wastewa-ter inputs, storm water run-off, and the excrement of domestic and wild animals. Current technologies are slow and rely on indicators of the harmful marine organ-isms. These new methods can rapidly assess the actual presence of pathogens in coastal oceans and pin down their source.

Also, in response to the need of public health and environmental managers to quickly screen for the presence of harmful algal species, HML researchers have devel-oped a new technology to simultaneously detect multiple algal species. Known as SIVCA (Species Identification via Chimeric Amplification), this technology is a vast improvement over existing methods. It requires less time and expertise to oper-ate, and is cheaper. In just a year and half, these tools have gone from concept to field trials with hopes of having the technology broadly available to local pub-lic health professionals within the next several years. With these advanced DNA technologies in hand, managers will be equipped to determine when beaches are safe for swimming and seafood safe to eat, and to mitigate pollution at its source.

Ocean climate patterns linked to Hantavirus in the Southwest US

In 1993, a mysterious disease caused 10 deaths in New Mexico during the months of May and June. No one could say for sure where it came from or how it was being spread. There were rumors of an accidental release of a military biowarfare agent, or a bioterrorism attack, frighten-ing people across the four corners region. During the first few weeks of the outbreak, the mortality rate was 70%. Investigators later discovered that the culprit was Han-tavirus, a pathogen previously observed in Europe and Asia, which causes severe respiratory distress. From 1998 to 2000, the same disease killed 29 people, though the mortality rate dropped to 40% since doctors knew what to expect. The tim-ing of these two outbreaks happened to correspond with another phenomenon much farther away: the El Niño-Southern

Oscillation. El Niño (translated “the child”) refers to a natural ocean and climate fluctuation occurring every four to seven years, so named because the change became obvious to Peruvians around Christmas time. El Niño events in-crease surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean over a zone stretching from Peru along the equator toward Asia, causing a number of alterations to typical weather patterns. Researchers found that one ef-fect of the El Niño was unusually heavy rainfall in the southwest US, which leads to an abundant food supply and increase in the population of the deer mice com-monly found around houses and stables. Hantavirus commonly infects this species, and is spread through disturbance of their dried urine. With better knowledge of this chain of effects, scientists, doctors, and public health officials are now better prepared to combat another outbreak.

— Karen Setty


Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification has the potential to seriously threaten the future health of the world’s oceans and the significant economic benefits they provide to humankind. This rapidly emerging scientific issue has raised serious concerns across the scientific and fish-eries resource management communities as to possible ecological and economic impacts. The Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act of 2009 mandates that NOAA has an active monitoring and research program to determine potential impacts of decreased ocean pH and carbon-ate saturation states, which are happening in direct response to rising atmospheric CO2. In response to the FOARAM Act NOAA is de-veloping a national plan for an ocean acidifi-cation observing system,species-specific and ecosystem response studies to the high CO2 levels, modeling studies of largescale physi-cal and biogeochemical changes in carbonate chemistry and pH, and modeling studies of ecosystem responses to predicted changes in the major ocean basins, , marginal seas of the US. This complement of research is needed if we are to fully understand the effects on ocean health.

Management of Methylmerucry

Assessing potential exposure to mercury is a challenge. Currently, the EPA is responsible for regulating all the industrial mercury re-leased into the air and surface water; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for monitoring levels of mercury in com-mercially sold fish; and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry evaluates the potential risk of methylmercury to humans. All three agencies have used different risk assessment methods, data sets, uncertainty factors and guidelines to assess exposure to toxicants. The National Research Council report Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury (2000) identifies the most appropriate studies and approaches to assess the risk of methyl-mercury.25

Sentinel species and habitats within NOAA’s Oceans and Human Health InitiativeOne of the central missions of NOAA’s OHHI is to provide early warnings of threat to hu-man health and well-being, thus the concept of sentinels is embedded in many of our activities. Sentinels are “assigned to warn of danger”, or “to stand guard”, and OHHI uses both sentinel species as well as sentinel habi-tats in this manner. Many marine mammals which inhabit ocean waters 24/7 and subsist entirely on a seafood diet are considered sentinel species because they receive some of the highest exposure to harmful algal toxins and chemical contaminants. These species can warn us of potential human health risks. and help us to understand what effects hu-mans may suffer from exposure to the same compounds. For example, investigations of stranded California sea lions poisoned by the algal toxin domoic acid have helped us un-derstand how this toxin affects the brain, and die-offs of bottlenose dolphin in the Gulf of Mexico alerted us to the fact that the red-tide toxin, brevetoxin, can accumulate in fish and remain in the food web long after a bloom has subsided.

Sentinel species also can provide direct indicators of risks to human health, with a good example being the analyses of seafood for harmful pathogens or chemical con-taminants that are known to be harmful to human health. Biomedical models are being developed under the concept of sentinel spe-cies, most notably for understanding the risks that petroleum-derived compounds pose to human heart function and health. Finally, both sentinel species and sentinel habitats are proving to be very useful for assessing changing environmental conditions that af-fect human health and well-being, to include property values. An excellent example of this is the work showing how development and resulting changes in land use are affecting both environmental quality and economic values in surrounding neighborhoods.


Management of Contaminated Sediments

Approximately 14 to 28 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments must be managed annually in the U.S. (one million cubic yards is roughly equivalent to 200 football fields stacked one yard high). Progress in science and engineering has advanced the nation’s ability to detect contaminants; the challenge now, however, is to foster similar advances in decision-making and clean-up strategies. Dredging is one of the few options available for cleaning up contaminated sediments. However, the National Research Council re-port Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites: Assessing the Effectiveness (2007) concludes that, based on available evidence, dredging’s ability to decrease environmental and health risks is still an open question. Such techni-cal difficulties as underwater obstacles can prevent dredging equipment from accessing sediments, and dredging can uncover and re-suspend buried contaminants, adding to the amount of pollution people and animals are exposed to, at least in the short term. How-ever, cleaning up the superfund site of DDT contamination off of Los Angeles in Southern California is still waiting to be completed. DDT continues to enter and concentrate in the food chain, and impact marine birds, fishes, and humans who eat the fishes. 26


What More Can We Do?

There have been many successes is dealing point sources of pollution, changing fishing practices in the U.S., and in local areas for improving the health of our ocean. Unfor-tunately, while these point the way to show us we can be successful, they have not yet turned the tide. We must continue and increase our efforts individually and collec-tively.

Actions by the Community and the Government

Many actions need to be taken on local, state and federal levels such as changes in legisla-tion regarding standards for CO2 emissions, standards for polluants, creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s), and budget for science-based research.

Support candidates and legislation that •serves to protect the environment and the ocean

Let your representatives hear your •voice on key issues

Support organizations that support the •ocean– Ask your Aquarium for a list of suggested organizations (e.g., Ocean Champions)


Actions of Individuals

Choose healthful and sustainable sea-•food – refer to websites such as www.seachoice.org and www.monterey-bayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx for up-to-date information

Conserve energy (from National Wild-•life Federation)

Change the filter in your furnace: ፋKeep heating and cooling systems running efficiently.

Change to fluorescent light bulbs: ፋThey use far less energy than incan-descents.

Combine trips: Plan your errands to ፋreduce transportation time.

Lower the temperature on your ፋwater heater: You’ll still have hot water, but it means the heater uses less energy when you are not using hot water.

Check your car’s tire pressure: ፋPoorly inflated tires wastes gas and causes more pollution.

Be aware that what goes in your drain •eventually goes to the ocean

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Protect your family by paying atten-•tion to beach closures, beach report cards -- based on the routine moni-toring of beaches conducted by local health agencies and dischargers. Water samples are analyzed for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources, including fecal waste. The higher the grade a beach receives, the lower the risk of illness to ocean users. (i.e., Heal The Bay)

Appreciate and Learn

Spend time with your children and •grandchildren in appreciation for na-ture, science and marine life.

Visit your local aquarium, zoo or •science museum -- explore relevant exhibits and instill


Websites

NOaa’s Ocean and Human Health Ini-•tiative. This site provides information about the OHHI and links to current news, publications, podcasts, grants and research projects. www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/ohhi/

Centers for Oceans and Human Health •(COHH) website funded by The Na-tional Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Environmen-tal Health Services (NIEHS): www.whoi.edu/science/cohh/

Harmful algae • a comprehensive re-source for information about harmful algal blooms. www.whoi.edu/redtide/

Centers for disease Control and •Prevention. Harmful Algal Blooms. This site provides links to background and general information about HABs, CDC’s Harmful Algal Bloom-related Ill-ness Surveillance System, publications, and other resources. www.cdc.gov/hab/surveillance.htm

NOaa HaB Forecasting System. • Infor-mation on detecting and forecasting HABs in the Gulf of Mexico. http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/hab/

Global Heartbeat –Oceans and Human •Health. Developed by the College of Exploration, with funding from the University of Southern California Sea Grant Program. Global Heartbeat is envisioned as a program that will lead to increased awareness of marine health, biodiversity, and water toxin issues. Global Heartbeat is a hands-on aquatic environmental science and educational program which brings together high school students, research scientists, and teachers to develop a program that involves recording the heartbeats of crabs and other organ-isms. It is intended to be a step-by-step guide for teachers who are getting started in the Global Heartbeat program. The CD contains classroom-ready lessons and worksheets, video clips, protocols for using the CAPMON equipment, and resources on inquiry-based learning and bioindicators. http://globalheartbeat.org/cd/html/oceans_and_human_health.html

NOaa Mapping Pathogens in the •Chesapeake Bay. Various human pathogens inhabit the Chesapeake Bay and pose a threat to public health. The goal of this project is to develop a system to predict the probability of occurrence of waterborne pathogens in the Chesapeake Bay and an improved understanding of environmental factors that control their occurrence and distribution in time and space. http://155.206.18.162/pathogens/ (under construction but useful)

Appendices

APPENDIX A

I . Recommended Additional References and Resources


Articles, Reports, and Publications

PaCOOS Observation System for early •Warning of HaB events www.sccoos.ucsd.edu/docs/PaCOOS-HaBs2005.pdf

Food from the Oceans and Human •Health: Balancing Risks and Benefits. http://tos.org/oceanography/issues/issue_archive/issue_pdfs/19_2/19.2_dewailly_knap.pdf

article by Fleming and others: Oceans •and human health: emerging public health risks in the marine environ-ment. Mar. Poll Bulletin. 2006 53:545-560.

Oceanography, vol. 19, • no. 2. 2006. Special Issue: The Oceans and Human Health.

environmental Health, vol. 7 • (Suppl. 2). 2008. Proceedings of the Centers for Oceans and Human Health Direc-tors Meeting.

CCSP, 2008: /analyses of the effects of •global change on human health and welfare and human systems/. a Report by the u.S. Climate Change

Science Program and the Sub-•committee on Global Change Re-search. [Gamble, J.L. (ed.), K.L. Ebi, F.G. Sussman, T.J. Wilbanks, (Authors)]. U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.

Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science •and Technology (JSOST). (5 reports – 4 on HABs and 1 on Oceans and Human Health available at http://ocean.ceq.gov/about/sup_jsost_iwgs.html)

Scientific Assessment of Marine Harm- ፋful Algal Blooms

HAB Management and Response: As- ፋsessment and Plan

Interagency Oceans and Human ፋHealth Annual Report, 2004-2006

Interagency Oceans and Human ፋHealth Research Implementation Plan: A Prescription for the Future

Scientific Assessment of Freshwater ፋHarmful Algal Blooms

Moore, M. J., R. J. Gast, and A. L. •Bogomolni. 2008. Marine vertebrate zoonoses: an overview of the DAO special issue. Diseases of Aquatic Or-ganisms 81:1-3.

Paerl. H. W. and J. Huisman. 2008. •Blooms like it hot.Science 320:57.

De Magny, G. C., R. Murtugudde, M. R. •P. Sapiano, A. Nizam, C. W. Brown, A. J. Busalacchi, M. Yunus, G. B. Nair, A, I. Gil, C. F. Lanata, J. Calkins, B. Manna, K. Rajendran, M. K. Bhattacharya, A. Huq, B. Sack, and R. R. Colwell. 2008. Environmental signatures associ-ated with cholera epidemics. PNAS 105(46):17676-17681.


Books

Walsh, P. J., and others. 2008. • Oceans and Human Health: Risks and Remedies From the Sea. Elsevier Sci-ence Publishers. New York (textbook). The book’s 33 chapters are arranged into two broad sections: “Risks” and “Remedies.” OHH is an emerging “meta-discipline” that unifies previ-ously unrelated disciplines includ-ing: oceanography, waterborne and seafood-borne diseases, harmful and nuisance algal blooms, epidemiol-ogy, comparative animal physiology, natural products and synthetic organic chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, social sciences, engineering, natural disasters, and other related areas.

“• Seasick” by Alanna Mitchell. 2008. Pier 9 (Murdoch Books) Sea Sick ex-amines the current state of the world’s oceans and the fact that we are altering everything about them; temperature, salinity, acidity, ice cover, volume, cir-culation, and, of course, the life within them.

Film

The Center for Health and the Hu-•man Environment at Harvard Medi-cal School. Healthy Ocean, Healthy Humans program, Once Upon a Tide. A 10-minute educational film that reconnects its audience to the impor-tance of the marine environment for all life on Earth, including human life. The website includes an educational section for teachers and educational “take-away” guides for viewers. www.healthyocean.org

Medical “check up” concept -- Exhibit •– visitor acts as a physician giving “the ocean” a check up and diagnosis it that the health is at risk – environmental scientists are the physicians of our planet – creating fun analogies with the metaphor. -Prognosis- trajectory

“get well” cards•

OOTE as a layer (have an icon) on •Google Earth and Google Ocean -- Have each Aquarium across country to add its own regional push pins.

Be hip, Facebook, Twitter•

Timelines•

Consider creating a site similar •to www.expeditions.udel.edu/ex-tremem08

Podcasts, 2-3 minute videos•

Educational materials for curriculum•

Family fun guides•

one page tear off hand outs from a •lobby standee

interactive games•

Stories and Videos: e.g., Story from •perspective of vet seeing an increase in sick sea lions include a video

II . Communications Strategies


1. Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries: High-lights of National Academies Reports (2008). Ocean Science Series prepared by the National Academies of Science. (Short title:) Fisheries p.1

2. Sandifer, P., C. Sotka, D. Garrison, and V. Fay. 2007. Interagency Oceans and Human Health Research Implementation Plan: A Prescription for the Future. Inter-agency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia,and Human Health of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Sci-ence and Technology. Washington, DC. (Short title:) OHH p. 42

3. Oceans and Human Health: Highlights of National Academies Reports (2007). Ocean Science Series prepared by the Na-tional Academies of Science. (Short title:) Oceans and Human Health p. 10

4. Oceans and Human Health p. 9

5. Jewett, E.B., Lopez, C.B., Dortch, Q., Etheridge, S.M, Backer, L.C. 2008. Harmful Algal Bloom Management and Response: Assessment and Plan. Inter-agency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Sci-ence and Technology. Washington, DC. (Short title:) HAB p 10

6. West Coast Center for Oceans and Hu-man Health (NOAA) website: www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/ohh/research/seafood_p.cfm

7. Oceans and Human Health p. 12-13

8. Pollution in the Ocean: Highlights of Na-tional Academies Reports (2007). Ocean Science Series prepared by the National Academies of Science. (Short title:) Pollu-tion p. 10

9. Pollution p. 12

10. Pollution p. 12

11. OHH p. 10

12. Fisheries p.1



15. Oceans and Human Health pp. 5-6




19. OHH p. 22





24. OHH p. 24

25. Pollution p. 12

26. Pollution p. 13

Edited and Direct Citations from the Following References

III . Citations


APPENDIX B

Conference Participants

NaMe aFFIlIaTION eMaIl addReSSKathy almon macGillivray Freeman Films [email protected]

John anderson new england aquarium [email protected]

Wolf Berger Scripps institution of oceanography [email protected]

tom Bowman Bowman design Group [email protected]

James Cortina Cortina Productions [email protected]

robert K. Cowen university of miami [email protected]

Paulynn Cue Cal State long Beach-CSulB [email protected]

robert a. dalrymple Johns Hopkins university [email protected]

robert G. dean university of Florida [email protected]

alistair dove Georgia State aquarium [email protected]

Sandy eslinger noaa Coastal Service Center [email protected]

Kristin evans Birch aquarium [email protected]

Kathleen Frith Harvard university [email protected]

Christian Greer Shedd aquarium [email protected]

Cpt. douglas Grubbs Crescent river Port Pilots [email protected]

Judith Hill-Harris City of Portland, maine [email protected]

michael Hirshfield oceana [email protected]

roger Holzberg right Brainiacs [email protected]

Jennifer a. Jay uCla [email protected]

Susan Kirch right Brainiacs [email protected]

Sheril Kirshenbaum duke university [email protected]

louisa Koch noaa [email protected]

Jon Krosnick Stanford university [email protected]

Conrad C. lautenbacher CSC Corporation [email protected]

Shaun macGillivray macGillivray Freeman Films [email protected]

edward maibach George mason university [email protected]

michael mann Pennsylvania State university [email protected]

Steven mayer aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

William Patzert naSa/Jet Propulsion lab [email protected]

richard Pieper Southern California marine institute [email protected]

Paul Sandifer noaa [email protected]

michael Schaadt Cabrillo marine aquarium [email protected]

Karen Setty SCCWrP [email protected]

robert Stickney texas a&m [email protected]

Soames Summerhays Summerhay’s Films, inc. [email protected]

r. lawrence Swanson Stony Brook university [email protected]

James thebaut the Chronicles Group [email protected]

Brian trimble Cal State long Beach-CSulB [email protected]

Cynthia Vernon monterey Bay aquarium [email protected]

dallas Weaver Scientific Hatcheries [email protected]

Stephen Weisberg SCCWrP [email protected]

richard West Private Consultant [email protected]


aquaRIuM STaFF david anderson aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

dave Bader aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

derek Balsillie aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

linda Brown aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

andrew Gruel aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Perry Hampton aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

alexi Holford aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

elizabeth Keenan aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

lisa leof aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Barbara long aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

adina metz aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Bruce monroe aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Corinne monroe aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Kim moore aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Jerry Schubel aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

margaret Schubel aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

Bill Waterhouse aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

dudley Wigdahl aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

leah Young aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

James Wood aquarium of the Pacific [email protected]

CritiCal Condition: oCean HealtH and Human HealtH

Documents

Transcript of CritiCal Condition: oCean HealtH and Human HealtH