Co-Convenors: William Cochlan (USA) and Satoshi Nagai (Japan)

Invited Speakers:
Masao Adachi (Kochi University, Japan)
Teina Rongo (Florida Institute of Technology, USA)
Patricia Tester (National Ocean Service, NOAA, USA)
Takeshi Yasumoto (National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan)

Ciguatera fish poisoning is a growing food-borne illness that is common in tropical waters, where poisoning numbers are poorly known but estimated to range from 50,000 to 500,000 cases per year. The incidence of ciguatera is on the rise, and appears to correspond to disturbances in the environment such as nutrients released into coastal waters, land-use changes, or warmer coastal waters. Indeed, the flagellates, Gambierdiscus and Ostreopsis, that can produce ciguatoxin- or palytoxin-like compounds, appear to be spreading to more temperate latitudes, including the waters of PICES member countries. To gain better insight to this new issue, we invite papers addressing benthic dinoflagellate taxonomy, evidence for range extension, descriptions of standardized sampling programs; assays for assessing toxicity, and sentinel products to alert public health officials to ciguatera risk. The goal of the session is to formulate a better understanding of environmental conditions fostering the prevalence of ciguatoxin-producing organisms in new geographical regions.