NCCOS concluded its contribution to a three-year project funded by the Irish Marine Institute on the algal toxin, azaspiracid, with presentations at the final Dissemination & Stakeholder Workshop held in Galway, Republic of Ireland on September 10, 2013. The presentations focused on toxicological studies conducted in partnership with the University of Michigan-Dearborn that have identified the effects and targets of this toxin class in mammalian cell lines, and also provided information on how these toxins are processed in mammals following ingestion of contaminated material.
Azaspiracids are an emerging concern along the east and west coasts of North America (including the U.S.), are a well-established problem for the shellfish industry in several western European countries, and have recently been observed in several other locations worldwide. The overall aims of this European Union project – which involved partners from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Norway, and the U.S. – were to increase knowledge of the causative organism and toxicity associated with azaspiracids, as well as to improve toxin detection methods.
For additional information, contact Greg.Doucette@noaa.gov.