EMERTOX · Emergent Marine Toxins in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean: New Approaches to Assess their Occurrence and Future Scenarios in the Framework of Global Environmental Changes.

Emergent Marine Toxins in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean: New Approaches to Assesstheir Occurrence and Future Scenarios in the Framework of Global Environmental Changes.

Episodes of human poisoning caused by Harmful Algal Blooms have been commonly recorded in the last century mostly because of the lack of regular monitoring programs. In Portugal, fatal cases linked to the consumption of bivalves contaminated by Paralytic Shellfish Toxins – PSP led to the establishment of a national monitoring program for these types of toxins that started in 1986. Later, the compulsory monitoring of Diarrheic Shellfish Poisonings (DSP) toxins (1991) and Amnesic Shellfish Poisonings (ASP) toxins (1997) according to EU regulations, led to the local detection of these toxins in edible marine organisms. Today, the cases of human poisonings in Europe are sporadic, usually because of violated national health authorities’ regulations imposing the closure of harvesting areas and seafood commercialization. The problem is different when we refer to Emergent Marine Toxins, such as tetrodotoxins, palytoxins and ciguatoxins, which are not yet regulated in Europe nor monitored regularly. Recent episodes on human intoxications by these emergent toxins in Europe led us to implement EMERTOX to prevent future human poisonings and to decrease the impact in fisheries and aquaculture. The project aims to create a robust and sustainable network of experts with excellent complementary competencies on marine algal toxins. The network will collaborate not only with national authorities but also with European ones, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for the assessment and management of risks associated to emerging toxins and the species that produce them. The assessment of the current risks related to emerging harmful algae and the prediction of future scenarios will be fundamental for EFSA, which will recommend whether these emerging toxins should be monitored in Europe, and for the development appropriate strategies to protect human health. EMERTOX - aims to map the actual situation in emergent marine toxins and the producing organisms, develop new approaches to assess their occurrence and predict the possible future scenarios in the framework of global warming. The consortium, formed by a multidisciplinary team, will produce a joint research and innovation project that will exploit the complementary expertise of the participants and will create synergies among them. The main objectives are: 1- to assess the current situation on potentially harmful algae and bacteria and the relevant emerging toxins in 8 countries belonging to different but geographically connected areas (Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic); 2- to develop innovative approaches to sample, and analyze the producing organisms and their toxins by chemical and biological methods including immunoassays and sensors; 3- to estimate different future scenarios based on molecular data (routes of dispersion) and modelling.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union