Introduction
Introduction Agenda Contacts

Indicators of Ocean and Human Health Workshop

November 16-19, 1999

 

International Center for Ocean and Human Health

Bermuda Biological Station for Research

Sponsors:  National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Objectives:

  • Reviewed the current state-of-the-art science on the use of indicators to link environmental changes, their effects on marine organisms, and, ultimately, their effects on human health.  Indicators at molecular, organismal, and population levels were discussed.
  • Identified research gaps in the use of indicators of ocean and human health.  Both industrial and non-industrial regions, and tropical and temperate environments were reviewed.
  • Using knowledge gained from well-studied areas, e.g., New Bedford Harbor and the Arctic, designed a monitoring network for appropriate indicators in contaminant "hot spot" areas and less contaminated areas.
  • Established collaborations between national and international governmental and private sector groups such as NIEHS, WHO, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, as well as representatives of the international research community.

Rationale:

  • The central question of the conference was:  Are there indicators for both temperate and tropical environments that have been/can be developed for ecosystem stress leading to human health effects? 
  • The conference focused on indicators of ocean and human health that transcend all environments and populations and identified research gaps in various regions.  The conference incorporated geographic diversity in the sites that were studied. 

Organizing Committee:

Anthony Knap

BBSR

Eric Dewailly

 Laval University/BBSR

Timothy Ford

 Harvard School of Public Health

Sylvaine Cordier

INSERM, France

Michael Depledge

Plymouth Environmental Research Centre

Michael Bolger

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Robert Bowen

University of Massachusetts-Boston

Beth Anderson

NIEHS

Lawrence Mee

Plymouth Environmental Research Centre

William Suk

NIEHS

Umit Unluata

IOC/UNESCO

 

 

 

 

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