Examining Environmental Drivers of Ciguatera Poisoning in O'ahu, Hawai'i

Abstract

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is a significant public health concern in tropical coastal regions, including Hawaiʻi. The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of ciguatoxins (CTXs) through the food chain ultimately results in humans unknowingly ingesting fish or other seafood that carry CTXs. These toxins are produced by benthic dinoflagellates primarily in the genus Gambierdiscus, which flourish in warm, calm, marine environments. Moderate sea surface temperatures (SST) and low wave energy have been linked to Gambierdiscus growth in other locations. In this study I examine the relationships between SST, wave energy, location, macroalgae host, and CP risk on the island of Oʻahu and integrate environmental data with documented patterns of toxin occurrence to support future predictions. Building on previous research that identified time-lagged correlations between warming events and CP outbreaks, this study examines how local environmental variability influences toxin accumulation in reef fish by integrating Gambierdiscus distribution and abundance data with remote sensing SST and wave energy datasets to evaluate relationships between environmental drivers and toxin occurrence.