The Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health

伍兹霍尔海洋与人类健康中心是一个多机构（伍兹霍尔海洋学研究所、海洋生物实验室、马萨诸塞州理工学院）倡议，将种群生物学、基因组学和物理海洋学结合起来，研究有害藻华、病原微生物和潜在病原体。 该中心的目标是通过加强了解海洋进程如何影响具有潜在人类健康后果的生物制剂的分布和持久性，改善公众健康。WHCOHH的研究人员与其他OHH中心和科学家以及负责公共卫生的政府官员进行了广泛的互动。该中心支持了13个竞争性获奖的试点项目，并通过吸引相关研究的新奖项来利用其资源。通过这项基于成就的更新提供资金，WHCOHH将继续在两个主要领域的最新发现和正在进行的研究活动基础上再接再厉： HAB主题：该中心最近的一项重大成就是对2005年缅因州海湾大规模爆发的亚历山大藻进行了鉴定和定性。这导致了果断的管理行动，保护了新英格兰沿海大部分地区的公众健康。模型结合流体力学和生物学方面的A。fundyense对2008年新英格兰的另一次严重水华给出了准确的预测。 这显然是世界上首次成功的季节性赤潮预报。对A.在2005-2008年期间采集的fundyense种群产生了一个独特的数据集，用于测试关于有毒甲藻水华如何形成和变化的假设。基于这些结果，赤潮研究小组将建立一套多基因型赤潮藻种群动态模型。fundyense，其在生长速率和细胞毒素含量方面显著不同。他们假设A. Fundyense由遗传上不同的亚群的镶嵌体组成，每个亚群对环境条件具有不同的生理和/或行为反应。我们的目标是了解这些人口的流体动力学和生物控制，他们的毒素生产，以及这些因素如何最终决定贝类毒性的波动。 在附近的盐沼（Nauset）进行额外的实地观察，将加强这项有害藻华研究，盐沼与区域有害藻华爆发有水动力联系。 将部署仪器用于自动检测A。fundyense，进一步推进可用于管理这些危险现象的技术。2. 病原体主题：该中心最近对病原体的研究包括对弧菌物种的研究，对各种其他人类病原体的海洋避难所的研究，以及对稀有生物圈的开创性研究。研究人员通过建立群体基因组框架，揭示了环境中潜在致病细菌群体的微进化动力学。 这使他们能够确定基因组分化的机制及其对不同时空尺度上种群结构的影响。 这些信息允许区分选择和人口统计学对细菌种群和嵌入这些种群中的致病性变体的影响。在弧菌物种相关成就的基础上，病原体团队现在将（1）确定最近分离的沿海弧菌和相关人类病原体的种群结构和起源之间的关系;（2）探索多样性，水平基因转移和毒力基因的生态作用;（3）确定宿主范围，遗传多样性和噬菌体基因转移的潜力。作为微生物群落结构和低丰度人类病原体的后续研究，该团队将（1）确定海滩砂中指示生物和病原体的时空分布，以及（2）确定潜在指示生物的组合作为人类病原体出现的代理。该中心还将开展一项跨领域活动，将有害藻华研究与瑙塞特沼泽系统的病原体研究联系起来。高分辨率微生物种群谱将与A. fundyense群体数据，以评估潜在的相关性。将对这些相同样本的一个子集进行常规指示微生物以及其他人类病原体分析。该中心以前资助的研究活动和新的研究活动的更广泛影响涵盖了NSF定义的所有五个类别。 教学，培训和学习已经通过超过80名学生和博士后研究员的夹带促进到目前为止，与代表性不足的群体参与中心活动的各个层面。WHCOHH基因组学核心设施和Alexandrum文化收藏构成了对研究和教育基础设施的重大投资。广泛的外联努力导致我们的结果得到广泛传播，与公共卫生官员的密切联系对社会产生了明显的好处。这些好处预计将在今后两年的更新资金中继续发展。

The Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health (WHCOHH) is a multi-institutional (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) initiative that combines population biology, genomics and physical oceanography to study harmful algal blooms (HABs), pathogenic microorganisms, and potential pathogens. The Center's goal is to improve the public health through enhanced understanding of how oceanic processes affect the distribution and persistence of biological agents with potential human health consequences. WHCOHH researchers have interacted extensively with other OHH centers and scientists, as well as government officials responsible for public health. WHCOHH has supported 13 competitively awarded pilot projects and leveraged its resources by attracting new awards for related research. With funding through this Accomplishment-based Renewal, the WHCOHH will continue to build upon recent discoveries and ongoing research activity in two major areas:1. HAB Theme: A recent major accomplishment at the Center was the identification and characterization of the massive bloom of Alexandrium fundyense in the Gulf of Maine in 2005. This resulted in decisive management action that protected the public health in much of coastal New England. Models incorporating hydrodynamics and biological aspects of A. fundyense gave an accurate prediction of another severe bloom in New England in 2008. Apparently, this was the first-ever successful seasonal forecast of a red tide anywhere in the world. Genetic and physiological analysis of A. fundyense populations sampled during 2005-2008 yielded a unique dataset for testing hypotheses about how toxic dinoflagellate blooms form and change. Based on these results, the HAB research team will formulate a suite of population dynamics models for the multiple genotypes of A. fundyense, which differ dramatically in terms of growth rates and cellular toxin content. They hypothesize that the aggregate distribution of A. fundyense is composed of a mosaic of genetically distinct subpopulations, each with different physiological and/or behavioral responses to environmental conditions. The goal is to understand the hydrodynamic and biological controls on these populations, their toxin production, and how these factors ultimately determine fluctuations in shellfish toxicity. This HAB research will be augmented by additional field observations in a nearby salt marsh (Nauset) which has hydrodynamic connections to the regional HAB outbreaks. Instrumentation will be deployed for automated detection of A. fundyense, further advancing the technologies that can be used to manage these dangerous phenomena. 2. Pathogen theme: Recent research on pathogens at the Center has included studies of Vibrio species, studies on marine refuges of a variety of other human pathogens, and groundbreaking studies on the rare biosphere. Investigators uncovered microevolutionary dynamics of populations of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the environment by establishing a population genomic framework. This enabled them to determine the mechanisms of genome differentiation and their effect on population structure on different temporal and spatial scales. Such information permits differentiation of the effects of selection and demographics on bacterial populations and the pathogenic variants that are embedded within those populations. Building on accomplishments pertaining to Vibrio species, the pathogen team will now (1) determine the relationship between population structure and origin of the recently isolated coastal Vibrios and related human pathogens; (2) explore diversity, horizontal gene transfer, and the ecological role of virulence genes; and (3) determine host range, genetic diversity, and potential for gene transfer of vibriophages. As follow-up research in microbial community structure and low-abundance human pathogens, the team will (1) determine the temporal and spatial distribution of indicator organisms and pathogens in beach sands and (2) identify assemblages of potential indicator organisms as proxies for the occurrence of human pathogens. The Center will also be conducting a cross-cutting activity that will link HAB and pathogen studies in the Nauset Marsh System. High-resolution microbial population profiles will be compared with A. fundyense population data to assess potential correlations. A subset of these same samples will be analyzed for routine indicator organisms as well as other human pathogens. The Broader Impacts of the Center's previously funded and new research activities span all five categories defined by NSF. Teaching, training, and learning have been promoted via entrainment of more than 80 students and postdoctoral fellows thus far, with underrepresented groups participating in all levels of center activities. The WHCOHH genomics core facility and Alexandrium culture collection constitute significant investments in infrastructure for research and education. Extensive outreach efforts lead to broad dissemination of our results, and close connection with public health officials have had demonstrable benefits to society. These benefits are expected to continue to develop during the next two years.of renewal funding.