BIOTOXINS FROM FRESHWATER AND MARINE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS OCCURRING IN MEXICO

Abstract

Mexican coasts and watersheds are among the places with the greatest marine toxin diversity worldwide. Toxins produced by harmful algal blooms (HAB) have severely affected the environment in Mexico, even causing several human casualties. HAB toxins chemically proven to date in Mexican waters include: amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), several cyanobacterial toxins (CTXs), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), and paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Species producing other toxins (azaspiracids, gymnodimine, pectenotoxins, prorocentrolides, yessotoxins) have also been detected in Mexican waters. HAB-related poisoning is often lost from official statistics by designation as diarrhea with indeterminate origin.