Research Area #2 | Sentinel Species

Sometimes in order to understand ourselves, we need to look to other organisms. For example, to understand the impact of a new pharmaceutical, we often conduct experiments on other organisms to understand potential impacts to humans. Similarly, to understand potential human health risks from the oceans, it is important to look at model organisms that live in the ocean environment.

West Coast Center scientists are investigating the impacts of stressors (pathogens, marine biotoxins, and toxic chemicals) on the health of sentinel species, like fish and marine mammals. By understanding impacts to sentinel species, we can better understand what is happening or what could happen to humans. Through this research, for example, we will be able to improve human risk models, such as models that better link consumption of contaminated seafood to human disease, and inform management actions.

Our research goals (2004-2009) are to:

• Use marine mammals as sentinels to evaluate existing and emerging pathogens and the effects of biotoxins and toxic chemicals, including interactions among these stressors, on human health.
• Evaluate the potential for marine mammals to act as a “reservoir” for human or terrestrial pathogens.
• Use fish as a model to understand how key stressors influence human health and disease.
• Improve human risk models to inform management actions.

As a result of this research:

• We will better understand how key stressors influence human health.
• Managers will be better able to forecast threats to human health.
• Managers will be better able to reduce threats to human health from key stressors.