This article is part of the supplement: Proceedings of the Centers for Oceans and Human Health Investigators Meeting .

Proceedings

Environmental controls, oceanography and population dynamics of pathogens and harmful algal blooms: connecting sources to human exposure

Julianne Dyble¹ , Paul Bienfang² , Eva Dusek³ , Gary Hitchcock⁴ , Fred Holland⁵ , Ed Laws² , James Lerczak⁶ , Dennis J McGillicuddy Jr⁶ , Peter Minnett⁴ , Stephanie K Moore⁷ , Charles O'Kelly² , Helena Solo-Gabriele⁴ and John D Wang⁴

¹  NOAA Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

²  Pacific Research Center for Marine Biomedicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

³  Pacific Northwest Center for Human Health and Ocean Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

⁴  Oceans and Human Health Center, University of Miami, Key Biscayne, FL, USA

⁵  NOAA Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA

⁶  Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA

⁷  NOAA West Coast Center for Oceans and Human Health, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA, USA

author email corresponding author email

Environmental Health 2008, 7(Suppl 2):S5doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-S2-S5

Published:	7 November 2008

Abstract

Coupled physical-biological models are capable of linking the complex interactions between environmental factors and physical hydrodynamics to simulate the growth, toxicity and transport of infectious pathogens and harmful algal blooms (HABs). Such simulations can be used to assess and predict the impact of pathogens and HABs on human health. Given the widespread and increasing reliance of coastal communities on aquatic systems for drinking water, seafood and recreation, such predictions are critical for making informed resource management decisions. Here we identify three challenges to making this connection between pathogens/HABs and human health: predicting concentrations and toxicity; identifying the spatial and temporal scales of population and ecosystem interactions; and applying the understanding of population dynamics of pathogens/HABs to management strategies. We elaborate on the need to meet each of these challenges, describe how modeling approaches can be used and discuss strategies for moving forward in addressing these challenges.