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Teaching About Oceans and Human Health. Melissa Ryan, Project Manager Ocean Technology Foundation. Linkages. The Ocean … Provides benefits and risks to public health Drives our weather systems and influences climate change Can carry diseases such as cholera
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Teaching About Oceans and Human Health Melissa Ryan, Project Manager Ocean Technology Foundation
Linkages The Ocean … • 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
Intro from the World Ocean Observatory (W2O) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiODL0GZy_o
Harmful Algal Blooms • 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) • 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) • Numbness of the lips and mouth, nausea and vomiting, giddiness, drowsiness, and fever WHOI
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) • Vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, seizures, severe headaches, loss of memory, and difficulty breathing
Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) • Diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain • No outbreaks reported in U.S. waters NOAA
Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP) • 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 Has a huge axon (part of a nerve fiber) 1000x larger than in vertebrates Nerve disorders
Spiny Dogfish • Vision and fluid formation in the eye NOAA
Horseshoe Crab • Test for impurities in some medical products NOAA
Toadfish • Inner ear almost identical to humans • Balance disorders
Winter Flounder • how kidney cells transfer toxins from the blood into the urine for excretion
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Sea Urchins • Cell Biology • Lay an abundance of eggs • Cell division after fertilization • Applications to fetal alcohol syndrome
Send in the Marines! From Virginia Commonwealth University’s “Secrets of the Sequence” website Image: NASA
Source: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 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
Source: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution Deep-water sponge has anti-inflammatory compounds Arthritis, burns, allergic reactions, or inflammatory bowel disease
HBOI Challenges of Bioprospecting for Marine-Derived Drugs • Technology, money, and regulations • Organism collection bioactive chemical identified drug available • How long?
Federal InitiativesNOAA and NIEHS/NSF • U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy • OHH Act 2004 Source: 2008 Interagency OHH Research Implementation Plan
OHH Courses • 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 • Health • Social Studies • Politics • Economics • Technology • Geography