Marine Cyanotoxins Potentially Harmful to Human Health

Abstract : Many people around the world depend on the marine environment, for its nutritional, recreational, and general economic value. For many years, a notable increase has been observed in the number of cases of severe intoxication, through the consumption of contaminated seafood and through external exposure. While dinoflagellates and diatoms are considered the main source of marine biotoxins, there is also growing evidence that certain groups of marine cyanobacteria are likely to produce various toxins with potential harmful effects on humans, especially in cases of massive proliferation. Some of the recent findings that support this hypothesis are summarized in this chapter.