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Research Project: FSA Phytoplankton Monitoring Programme
| Monitoring Programme for the Presence of Toxin Producing Plankton in Shellfish Production Areas in Scotland | |
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Abstract: Phytoplankton are a primary food source for bivalve shellfish and crustaceans. Under certain conditions, some phytoplankton species may produce toxins. Although the shellfish may not be visibly affected, these toxins can accumulate in tissue and organs, and if the shellfish are then ingested by humans, they may have a subsequent negative effect on human health. Monitoring these phytoplankton species can benefit both human health and the shellfish industry, as harvesting can be avoided when potentially toxic species are present.
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| Research Project Information |
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Runtime:
2008-09-01
until
2010-08-31
Contact:
Sarah Swan
Project coordination:
Keith Davidson
Scientific staff:
Keith Davidson, Sarah Swan
Technical staff:
Tim Wilkinson and Eleanor Martin
Contractor(s):
Food Standards Agency
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EU member states are required to monitor both the presence and geographic distribution of marine biotoxin-producing phytoplankton in shellfish harvesting areas. In Scotland, phytoplankton monitoring has been carried out by SAMS on behalf of the Food Standards Agency Scotland since September 2005. Water samples are collected from designated shellfish growing areas around the Scottish coast and analyzed, by light microscopy, for eight potentially toxic genera or species of phytoplankton. Most harmful phytoplankton are dinoflagellates, with only one genus of diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia, producing toxin. As the toxicity of harmful species may vary due to a number of (as yet poorly understood) environmental factors, the presence of potentially toxic phytoplankton in a water sample does not necessarily indicate that toxins will be present. Rather, the data collected from the phytoplankton monitoring will provide an early warning for the potential occurrence of shellfish toxin events and hence alert the industry and, as well as safeguard health, minimise product recalls and subsequent financial loss. The potentially toxic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia (seriata group) in culture. More information on the monitoring of shellfish can be found at the Food Standards Agency website.
Departments involved in this research project: