Ciguatera fish poisoning and sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies

2010

Authors

• Patricia A. Tester National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service
• Rebecca L. Feldman RLF Environmental
• Amy W. Nau National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service
• Steven R. Kibler National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service
• R. Wayne Litaker National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service

Description

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is a circumtropical disease caused by ingestion of a variety of reef fish that bioaccumulate algal toxins. Distribution and abundance of the organisms that produce these toxins, chiefly dinoflagellates of the genus Gambierdiscus, are reported to correlate positively with water temperature. Consequently, there is growing concern that increasing temperatures associated with climate change could increase the incidence of CFP. This concern prompted experiments on the growth rates of six Gambierdiscus species at temperatures between 18 degC and 33 degC and the examination of sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean and West Indies for areas that could sustain rapid Gambierdiscus growth rates year-round. The thermal optimum for five of six Gambierdiscus species tested was [?]29 degC. Long-term SST data from the southern Gulf of Mexico indicate the number of days with sea surface temperatures [?]29 degC has nearly doubled (44 to 86) in the last three decades. To determine how the sea surface temperatures and Gambierdiscus growth data correlate with CFP incidences in the Caribbean, a literature review and a uniform, region-wide survey (1996-2006) of CFP cases were conducted. The highest CFP incidence rates were in the eastern Caribbean where water temperatures are warmest and least variable.

Toxicon volume 56 pages 698-710

DOI : 10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.02.026

Cited by chapter 17,finding 17.2,nca3,chapter 6, and usgcrp-climate-human-health-assessment-2016. (reference: 659613d7)