Transcript Oceans and Human Health

Teaching About Oceans and
Human Health
Melissa Ryan, Project Manager
Ocean Technology Foundation
Linkages
The Ocean …
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Provides benefits and risks to
public health
Drives our weather systems
and influences climate change
Can carry diseases such as
cholera
Is a source of oxygen, water,
and nutritious foods
Provides a source of new
medicines and natural products
Has biomedical applications
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Intro from the World Ocean
Observatory (W2O)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiODL0GZy_o
Harmful Algal Blooms
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Algal blooms occur
naturally and frequently
Not all are harmful
Fresh and salt water
Can contaminate seafood
and result in fish kills
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP)
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Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness of
the arms, legs, and mouth, and
sometimes the reversal of temperature
sensation.
Rarely fatal, and gastrointestinal
symptoms may last for a few days
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
(PSP)
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Numbness of the lips and mouth, nausea
and vomiting, giddiness, drowsiness, and
fever
WHOI
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
(ASP)
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Vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea,
seizures, severe headaches, loss of
memory, and difficulty breathing
Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning
(DSP)
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Diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain
No outbreaks reported in U.S. waters
NOAA
Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning
(NSP)
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Nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, numbness of
the arms, legs, and
mouth
Symptoms similar to CFP
“Red tide”
David Patterson and Bob Andersen
Marine Animals in Biomedical Modeling
Squid
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Has a huge axon (part of a nerve
fiber)
1000x larger than in vertebrates
Nerve disorders
Spiny Dogfish
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Vision and fluid formation in the eye
NOAA
Horseshoe Crab
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Test for impurities in some medical
products
NOAA
Toadfish
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Inner ear almost identical to humans
Balance disorders
Winter Flounder
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how kidney cells transfer
toxins from the blood into the
urine for excretion
Sea Urchins
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Cell Biology
Lay an abundance of eggs
Cell division after fertilization
Applications to fetal alcohol syndrome
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Examples of Marine Species Used in Biomedical Research
General
Human
Health Issue
Taxon
Species (Common Name)
Human Medical Concern
Immunology
Mollusca
Conus spp. (cone snails)
Blood disorders, clotting, hemophilia
Echinodermata
Arbacia punctulata (sea urchin)
Cell-mediated immune system
responses
Tunicata
Botryllus schlosseri (Golden Star
Tunicate, sea squirt)
Immune systems and disorders
(self/non-self recognition),
AIDS/HIV transmission
Vertebrata, Fish
Squalus acanthias
(spiny dogfish shark)
Immune system function, evolution
of antibodies, and disease
resistance
Mollusca
Loligo pealei (squid) Aplysia
(marine snail)
Neurological studies, behavior
Nerve impulse transmission
Arthropoda
Limulus polyphemus (horseshoe
crab)
Vision Neural basis of behavior
Vertebrata, Fish
Opsanus tau (toadfish)
Balance and equilibrium, nausea
Squalus acanthias (spiny dogfish
shark)
Brain function Vision, glaucoma,
cataracts
Pomacentrus partitus (bicolor
damselfish)
Neurofibromatosis
Electrophorus electricus (electric
eel)
Synaptic transmission (NA+ K+
ATPase)
Neurobiology
And some more…
Cell
Biology/
Cancer
Mollusca
Echinodermata
Spisula solidissma (surf
clam)
Cell division/cancer
Loligo pealei (squid)
Cell physiology,
intracellular transport,
and cellular pH calcium
regulation
Arbacia punctulata (sea
urchin)
Cell division/cancer
Fertilization and
development
Arthropoda
Cancer irroratus (red
crab)
Organic ion transport
Vertebrata,
Fish
Pseudopleuronectes
americanus (winter
flounder)
Organic ion transport
And still more …
Physiology
Arthropoda
Vertebrata,
Fish
Eriocheir sinensis
(Chinese mitten crab)
Cellular osmoregulation
Cancer irroratus
(red crab)
Detoxification mechanisms
Carcinus maenas
(green shore crab)
Kidney function
Opsanus tau (toadfish)
Insulin secretion and
diabetes
Muscle pathologies
Squalus acanthias
(spiny dogfish shark)
Cystic fibrosis Kidney and
heart research
Pseudopleuronectes
americanus (winter flounder)
Detoxification mechanisms
Anguilla rostrata
(American eel)
Kidney function
Send in the Marines!
Image: NASA
From Virginia Commonwealth University’s
“Secrets of the Sequence” website
Medicines from the Sea
• If a sponge is trying to prevent a coral from invading its
space, it may produce a chemical to prevent the coral
cells from growing and dividing
• Anti-tumor compounds
HBOI
Deep-water sponge has anti-inflammatory
compounds
Arthritis, burns, allergic reactions, or
inflammatory bowel disease
Source: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
Challenges of Bioprospecting for
Marine-Derived Drugs
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Technology, money, and regulations
Organism collection
chemical identified
bioactive
drug available
How long?
HBOI
Federal Initiatives
NOAA and NIEHS/NSF
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U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy
OHH Act 2004
Source: 2008 Interagency OHH Research Implementation Plan
OHH Courses
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Clayton College of Natural Health,
Birmingham, AL
Elective: Oceans and Health
Ocean Technology Foundation and College
of Exploration
Two-week online course for teachers: Fall
2008 and Spring 2009
Disciplines Involved in OHH
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Health
Social Studies
Politics
Economics
Technology
Geography
OHH Texts
OHH Publications
“HABs and Humans”
Activity