Events

The 2022 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Peru has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of marine birds and poultry, and confirmed spillover events into marine mammal populations, highlighting the fragile balance of coastal ecosystems and the increasing threat of cross-species transmission. Concurrently, rapid economic development in coastal Peru—driven by the expansion of agriculture, poultry production, and mining—has intensified human–animal–environment interactions. The close proximity of industrial and small-scale poultry farms and mines to protected natural reserves and marine ecosystems creates conditions ripe for pathogen emergence and amplification. These anthropogenic pressures are compounded by limited implementation of integrated surveillance systems and fragmented One Health governance frameworks. This presentation will explore the current landscape of zoonotic influenza risk along the Peruvian coast through a One Health lens.

Ricardo Castillo is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Scientific Director of the Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, a collaborative research consortium between multiple US-based and international institutions employing over 30 staff. Applying a One Health approach, Dr. Castillo has researched human cysticercosis in South America's tropical coast, echinococcosis in the Andean mountains, and urban zoonoses such as dog-mediated rabies and urban Chagas disease. In the US, he has studied antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections of animal origin in urban and rural communities. Recently, his research focuses on avian influenza, exploring how human and animal interactions, and social, political, and ecological dynamics drive outbreaks. He holds a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology and an MSPH in international health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that were supported by a Fulbright Scholarship. Dr. Castillo is also the PI of a NIH-funded training grant to train Latin American scientists on the control of zoonotic tropical diseases.

Coastal populations are highly dependent on marine resources. In Alaska, Indigenous communities have harvested a substantial proportion of their diet from fish and shellfish since time immemorial. However, toxins produced by marine harmful algal blooms can threaten the safety of these resources and cause illness and death. Diseases caused by these toxins such as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) are a global concern, and ensuring safe harvest of fish and shellfish is critically important to Tribes in the region to protect harvesters and promote future food security for the region. A tribally driven research network was established in 2015 to monitor and communicate risks of shellfish consumption, and since its inception there have been no cases of PSP in Southeast Alaska. John will describe the importance of a One Health approach to marine toxicology as well as collaborative work with Tribes to better understand the environmental conditions that promote toxins and how those dynamics may be changing in the future.

John Harley is marine ecotoxicologist at the University of Alaska Southeast in Lingít Aaní, Juneau Alaska. John has been researching issues related to environmental toxicology and subsistence food safety in Alaska for over a decade and has worked across the state on Tribally driven translational research. His PhD on One Health Toxicology examined the use of wildlife as sentinels for emerging contaminants and is invested in place-based research that better understands and enhances food safety and security for coastal Alaskans.

The spectacular Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) extends more than 1,000 km from the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula southward through the clear waters of Belize, Guatemala and northern Honduras. This reef system, which includes the Western Hemisphere’s longest barrier reef, is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The people of the region are also rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, with many traditional cultures still closely tied to marine and coastal resources. Here, more than most places, the health of the human population, our communities and our economies, depend largely on our ability to maintain healthy reefs.

Our collaborative monitoring and reporting effort is the largest and longest standing one not sponsored by supporting government. Now with >70 partner organizations, monitoring and reporting on almost 300 sites over the last 20 years. Early work included the selection of indicators that were both technically relevant and influential with the people of the Mesoamerican region. Livelihoods, food security, physical protection and cultural identity are all secured through reef conservation, as evidenced in their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Understanding these links between nature and people is essential to reducing poverty and catalyzing the positive synergies between environmental health and human welfare needed to achieve sustainability. Healthy Reefs for Healthy People is more than just a catchphrase: it’s a guiding principle for all our efforts to better understand and protect the reef and the people depending on it.

Melanie Mcfield is the Founder & Director of Healthy Reefs for Healthy People. (HRI), a multi-institutional effort to better understand and conserve the Mesoamerican Reef. She has received several awards, including the 2021 Conservation Award from the International Coral Reef Society and participated in numerous television news broadcasts and nature-based documentaries to broaden support for reef conservation awareness.

This presentation explores the core pillars of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Blue Transformation Roadmap and underscores the essential role of aquatic food systems in achieving global food and nutrition goals while protecting ocean and freshwater ecosystems. Aquatic food systems—rich in essential proteins, fats and micronutrients and a critical source of livelihoods—play a vital role in addressing hunger and malnutrition, particularly in vulnerable communities. Rather than a sustainability burden, aquatic food systems provide opportunities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The Blue Transformation Roadmap focuses on three key objectives: sustainably expand and intensify aquaculture, effectively manage all fisheries, and upgrade aquatic food value chains. Central to the strategy is a commitment to science-based policy, inclusive governance, and innovation, ensuring aquatic resources are managed responsibly for current and future generations.

Carlos Fuentevilla is a Fishery Officer at FAO, jointly coordinating the Organization’s Blue Transformation Programme. His main interests and focus are on developing practical policies and initiatives that reflect the realities and needs of fisheries and aquaculture in developing countries. He previously managed a regional initiative on the sustainable management of bottom trawl fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean and was part of the secretariat that developed the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. He received a Masters in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami. His experience includes working as a sport fishing guide, an aquaculture technician and developing local and global fisheries policies and management plans. Whenever he is not working on aquatic food systems, he spends his days fishing as much as possible.

The Public Health Resonance Project, co-founded by Dr. Sentell and Ms. Look and other interdisciplinary, global collaborators, has a goal to amplify the unique attributes and deep connections across regionally and culturally relevant physical activities for health promotion and community wellness, locally and globally. Spending time engaged with the land and in or near the ocean and other blue spaces like lakes and rivers can promote health across multiple dimensions. This engaging talk will share the history of this project founded from groundbreaking randomized clinical trial research evaluating chronic disease interventions based on Indigenous Native Hawaiian the cultural practice of hula; current mixed methods research on surfing, spearfishing, paddling and other ocean practices in the Hawai‘i context for health; and results from an ongoing literature synthesis about these practices across the globe including data resources to support health promotion around these practices in other locations.

Mele Look has over 45 years of experience as a health researcher, community advocate, and administrator. She was the first Director of Community Engagement at the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawai‘i and now serves as a Senior Advisor. She founded the Ulu Network, supporting Native Hawaiians and Pacific Peoples across Hawai‘i and the U.S. Her research bridges cultural practices and health, and she is a trained hula practitioner with Hālau Mōhala ‘Ilima. Learn more at hulaandhealth.com.
 

Tetine Sentell is a Professor and the inaugural Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Endowed Chair in Public Health Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her research focuses on health inequities from strengths-based perspectives using mixed methods. She has served as Interim Dean, Department Chair, and a Fulbright Specialist, and received the UH Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Sentell has published over 125 papers and led projects funded by NIH, the Hawai‘i Department of Health, and AHRQ. She has also served in expert roles with PCORI and the World Health Organization, and led a multilingual youth-focused social media campaign in Hawai‘i.

CIGUATERA (or Ciguatera Poisoning, CP) is a foodborne illness due to the consumption of reefs fish and marine invertebrate, contaminated by neurotoxins (Ciguatoxins) produced by a micro-algae, called Gambierdiscus.  Endemic to tropical regions, CP illustrates how environmental disruption, human health, livelihoods, and traditional knowledge are deeply interconnected, especially in Pacific islands nations. This seminar will explore its ecological origins, clinical challenges, and gaps in surveillance— emphasizing the need for a One Health approach to better understand and manage this complex issue. Insights from French Polynesia will help illustrate local experiences and solutions.

Clémence Gatti Howell is a Research Associate at the Laboratory of Marine Biotoxins (LBM) of the Institut Louis Malardé, based in Tahiti, French Polynesia. With over 60 years of expertise in Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) research, the LBM is recognized as a leading laboratory in this field, notably thanks to its integrated and multidisciplinary approach. Within the team, Dr. Gatti Howell is responsible for epidemiological surveillance and advancing the understanding of the disease. Over time, she has also developed expertise in Ciguatera environmental monitoring and risk management. She currently coordinates several projects, including the Pacific CIGUAWATCH Initiative, which aims to strengthen CP surveillance capacities in Pacific Island Countries and Territories; the DIAGNOCIG project, focusing on the validation of ciguatoxins detection tools in human samples; and PEDIACIG, dedicated to better characterizing CP among pediatric populations. In addition, Dr. Gatti Howell actively contributes to international expert groups (WHO, FAO, IOC-UNESCO) and supports public awareness programs to improve understanding and prevention of CP.

The marine environment harbors an extraordinary diversity of life, ranging from microscopic algae to massive whales. Nowhere is this biodiversity more pronounced—or more competitive—than in tropical reef ecosystems, where organisms must contend for space, nutrients, and protection from predators. This intense evolutionary pressure has driven the development of a wide array of unique chemical, biochemical, and physical adaptations, many of which hold significant value for human society. One striking example is dolastatin 10, a linear, highly modified peptide produced by marine cyanobacteria. Believed to serve as a defense mechanism against herbivorous fish, dolastatin 10 also inhibits cell division with remarkable potency. Derivatives of this compound now serve as the cytotoxic "warheads" in several of the most advanced anticancer therapies—antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). As of 2024, global sales of six FDA-approved dolastatin-derived ADCs exceeded $4 billion, demonstrating both their clinical impact and commercial success. Another example of marine-inspired innovation comes from diatoms, whose intricate silica frustules are incorporated into solar panels to enhance light capture and energy efficiency. This webinar will present additional case studies from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, illustrating how innovations from the ocean are improving human health and why protecting marine ecosystems is critical for future biomedical and technological advances.

William Gerwick is a distinguished professor at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. His research focuses on the discovery of bioactive natural products from marine algae and cyanobacteria, their application in biomedicine especially to parasitic diseases, inflammation and cancer, and their biosynthesis using genomic approaches. Recently his laboratory has also been involved in the development of new methods in structure analysis including artificial intelligence applications, and these are accelerating the drug discovery process from natural products. He is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). His research group has published over 450 research papers and holds 26 patents, and he has trained approximately 100 PhD and postdoctoral scholars, as well as many visiting scholars and undergraduate students, in his 43-year independent career in the natural products.

The talk will summarise a 15-year research programme conducted by our team focusing principally on the benefits to health and well-being from living near and interacting with different inland and coastal blue spaces. While fully aware of the risks, we aimed to balance the discourse by exploring the benefits using a wide range of research methodologies from in-depth narrative interviews (e.g. with children aged 8-12) to large scale population studies (e.g. 40 million adults). Results find consistent, though small, positive effects of living near and spending time across a variety of blue spaces. Five mechanisms are discussed and individual, community, and society level interventions to improve access and use are outlined.

Mathew White is a psychologist specialising in the role of natural, especially aquatic, environments on mental health, well-being, and community and individual resilience. From 2011-2020 he was coordinator of the ‘Blue Gym’ project exploring these issues in various ‘blue space’ settings and Co-I on three related international research programmes (BlueHealth; Seas Oceans & Public Health in Europe; Blue Communities in South-East Asia). He’s currently Principal Investigator on the EU Horizon Europe RESONATE programme (2023-2027) developing and testing nature-based social prescribing for individual and community resilience across Europe. In 2019, he led the Blue Gym team to win the Delcroix Prize for Oceans and Human Health and has been a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher yearly since 2020.

Plastics production has been increasing exponentially and is expected to triple by 2060, paralleling the rise in fossil fuel and chemical manufacturing. Plastic production involves thousands of chemicals, ranging from feedstocks like ethane and ethylene to toxic additives such as phthalates, PFAS, and flame retardants that contribute to harmful human exposure across the plastic lifecycle, from extraction to disposal. Once released into the environment, plastics fragment into microplastics that contaminate air, drinking water, food, oceans, animals, and human tissues, including the placenta, brain, and testes. Of the more than 16,000 chemicals linked to plastics, most remain untested for safety, while many known hazards are linked to cancer, infertility, and neurodevelopmental harm. These exposures compound existing social and environmental stressors, particularly for fenceline communities living in areas where petrochemical and plastics manufacturing facilities have been cited and who face disproportionate burdens of pollution and disease. Protecting public health requires coordinated regulatory action that accounts for cumulative impacts and adopts policies that close the plastic tap.

Rashmi Joglekar is a toxicologist with expertise in environmental health, science policy, and environmental justice. She is the Associate Director of Science, Policy, and Engagement at UCSF’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) and the Director of the Community Engagement Core at UCSF’s Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) Center. In these roles, Dr. Joglekar leads efforts to translate environmental health research and advance evidence-based chemical risk assessment methods to promote stronger health protections, particularly for people experiencing disproportionate impacts of toxic chemical exposures. Before joining UCSF, she was a Staff Scientist at Earthjustice, where she partnered with lawyers and community leaders to build the strongest scientific case for federal agencies to protect communities from harmful chemical exposures. Dr. Joglekar has previously served as an expert panelist for the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), US EPA, and the Environmental Law Institute. She earned her PhD in the Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program at Duke University, specializing in neurodevelopmental toxicology.

Thanks to the ingenuity of researchers more than a century ago, plastics have grown to become a diverse and versatile class of materials upon which modern-day society is reliant. An unintended consequence of this growth has been the widespread contamination of marine, aquatic, terrestrial and built environments by plastic waste, and especially microplastics. Increasing evidence of potential harm to wildlife, ecosystems, and to human health from exposure to plastics is spurring action from local to international levels to stem the tide of plastics to the environment. Dr. Law will discuss the global plastics problem from an environmental perspective, including a multi-faceted set of pathways designed to address plastic pollution.

Kara Lavender Law is Research Professor of Oceanography at Sea Education Association (SEA; Woods Hole, MA). For nearly 20 years she has researched plastic debris in the ocean, initially focusing on the physical processes that carry, transport and transform plastics in the marine environment, with more recent work focused “upstream” on the generation, pathways and treatment of plastic waste, ultimately aiming to prevent plastic leakage to the environment. Dr. Law has co-chaired working groups on plastic marine debris at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), and served on the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee that published the 2022 report, Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastics Waste. Dr. Law received her Ph.D. in physical oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography/University of California, San Diego, and a B.S. in mathematics from Duke University.

Aquatic or ‘blue’ foods - fish, invertebrates, algae and aquatic plants captured or cultured in freshwater and marine ecosystems – could play an important role in creating a healthier, more sustainable and equitable global food system. Preparing for that future requires better data on the types of fish that people eat, the nutritional benefits, sustainable expansion of aquaculture, the contributions of small-scale fisheries and improved understanding of the local context for the food on our plates. Drawing on collaborations with researchers around the world, I will provide new insights on challenges, needs and opportunities for the aquatic food sector.

Fiorenza Micheli is the David and Lucile Packard Professor of Marine Science at Stanford University,  chair of the Oceans Department in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, co-director of Stanford’s Center for Ocean Solutions, senior fellow at Woods Institute for the Environment, and Professor, by courtesy, in Biology. Her research focuses on the processes shaping marine communities and coastal social-ecological systems, incorporating this understanding in marine conservation and in co-designing solutions with decision-makers and communities. She investigates climatic impacts on marine ecosystems, marine predators’ ecology and trophic cascades, the dynamics and sustainability of small-scale fisheries, and the design and function of Marine Protected Areas. She is a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, co-founder on board member of Ocean Visions, and advisor to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Seafood Watch, Global Fishing Watch, and the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory.