Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning
by Eric Prue and Ethan Platt
What is Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning? (NSP)
Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) is caused by the consumption of shellfish contaminated by breve-toxins or breve toxin analogs. Symptoms in humans include vomiting and nausea and a variety of neurological symptoms such as slurred speech.
What type of organisms are involved?
Commonly affected organisms are manatees, oysters, fish, clams and much more including humans.
What are the ecological impacts?
A lot of species are affected by this. Most commonly are shellfish. This in turn affects humans because we as a population are a large consumer of such species. While eating a clam can be yummy it can also be extremely dangerous.
What are the economic impacts?
The Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning affects oysters, fish, clams, etc. This affects the fishing industry. The fisherman have to go some where else to find these animals, which cost money. The NSP is being taken up the Atlantic Coast making the spot for fisherman to fish smaller and smaller.
Geographic locations
NSP affects the gulf of mexico especially off the coast of Florida. Florida is affected greatly by saxltoxin in clams, oyster and scallops which people eat there. The currents take the red tide all over the gulf of Mexico to Texas.The NSP has taken over the Gulf of Mexico. And now currents are taking it up the Atlantic Coast.
What can be done to fix NSP?
The simplest way is to not eat clams, oysters, and shellfish infected by the poisoning. The U.S. Public Health service is monitoring shellfish beds and open water areas for NSP. There are zones where fisherman can and can not go. The places they can't go are greater than the places they can go. The NSP has taken over the Gulf of Mexico which is a big hot spot for fisherman.
Work Cited
"Aquatic Toxins." Shellfish Poisonings. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
"Bad Algae!" NOAA National Ocean Service Education:. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
Watkins, Sharon M., Andrew Reich, Lora E. Fleming, and Roberta Hammond. "Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning." Marine Drugs. Molecular Diversity Preservation International, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
"U.S. Food and Drug Administration." BBB. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016