Pacific Northwest Center for Oceans and Human Health

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ABSTRACT OCE-0434087NSF-NIEHS Research Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health at the University of WashingtonThe past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the economic and human health repercussions of harmful algal blooms in U.S. West coast waters. The overall goal of the Pacific Northwest Center for Human Health and Ocean Sciences is to elucidate the relationships between marine processes and public health consequences, by focusing specifically on the toxic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. The Center will be composed of a multidisciplinary research team that includes researchers from universities as well as state and federal government agencies. Studies will be conducted on Pseudo-nitzschia dynamics and human impacts in two major representative ecosystems, the Puget Sound Estuary and Washington coastal waters. All fishery closures to date in Washington State have occurred along the coast where human settlement is limited. In Puget Sound, where many more people could potentially be affected, no shellfish closures have yet occurred, although low-levels of domoic acid are commonly detected in mussels and clams. The Center will explore underlying differences between the coastal environment in the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound.The research and support activity of the Center will encompass four research projects and four facility cores. The Toxic Algae Research Project will examine the physical, chemical, and biological factors that promote blooms and toxin release and the genomics of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms. The Shellfish Kinetics Project will study the toxin levels and environmental conditions at which acute or chronic health effects become important. The Mechanisms of Toxicity Research Project will examine the molecular mechanisms of action of domoic acid and will define potential susceptibility factors affecting its toxicity such as age, chronic low dose exposure profiles and genetics. The Human Exposure Research Project will investigate populations for dietary and consumption behaviors that contribute to increased exposure and will identify populations that are at potential risk based on age, cultural practices (Native American populations, Asian and Pacific Islanders), and geographic proximity to contaminated shellfish. The Biosensors Facility Core will focus on new technologies to develop portable real time tools for assessing domoic acid. The Environment Facility Core will use time series analysis to characterize variations in physical and chemical parameters of the coastal environment and the Puget Sound Estuary. The Neurobehavioral Assessment Facility Core will define the effects of chronic low-level domoic acid exposure on neurobehavioral development. The Informatics Facility Core will provide platforms and frameworks for data integration, risk evaluation, GIS and data visualization and community outreach, to allow the Center to share and translate information across these multidisciplinary arenas and with the external research communities. Broader Impacts. The Center has been designed in response to the societal need to understand the interactions between ocean processes and human health. One major impact of the center will be to develop lasting partnerships among groups concerned with harmful algal blooms, including researchers at the University of Washington, University of Maryland Medical School, the Institute for Systems Biology, the Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Health, Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA) and U.S. EPA Region 10. A second impact is to provide informational resources and exchange with diverse communities with exposure and potential health risks from domoic acid. Interactions with numerous groups, including Native American tribes and Asian-Pacific Islander communities, along the Washington coast and in the Puget Sound region have already been developed. A community advisory board with interested and affected parties will be created to facilitate these exchanges and dialogue about harmful algal blooms. A third impact is educational in nature. The Center will educate a new generation of researchers with multidisciplinary training and expertise relevant for issues affecting oceans and human health. Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers are included in all Center projects. Undergraduate research at the University of Washington is highly promoted and labs commonly involve undergraduates in research projects. A seminar series will be held on a monthly basis to foster communication between different Center components. Additional special-topic courses (open to all students) will also be developed from Center collaborations.