Major Marine Ecological Disturbances, Morbidity, Mortality and Disease of Marine Wildlife Species Human Health and Economic Impacts

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
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Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Unknown

Publication_Date: Unknown

Title: Major Marine Ecological Disturbances, Morbidity, Mortality and Disease of Marine Wildlife Species Human Health and Economic Impacts

Description:

Abstract:

The HEED (Health, Ecological and Economic Dimensions of) Global Change Program, a 3-year effort funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Global Programs and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has developed a systematic methodology for collecting morbidity and mortality occurrence data, across a range of species. A comprehensive survey of instances of marine ecological disturbance, and a methodology for future Major marine ecological disturbances (MMED) investigation, is desired by international, federal and state agencies in their efforts to better understand the changes occurring in the world's oceans. Our approach draws together the expertise of over 15 separate disciplines, organizes historic data in one standard format, assesses the integrity and coverage of data, and provides a method for future standardized data collection and analysis. Events within this morbidity and mortality database serve as (eco)indicators of ecologically and economically significant disturbances. The overall framework enables the assessment of marine ecosystem health. In our initial study area, which includes the Western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico, recognized major marine ecological disturbances (MMEDs) have increased during the last 30 years. We have tracked those changes and are attempting to characterize patterns within our data-sets. The HEED Global Change Program provides researchers, interested in testing hypotheses, with six data-sets and a framework to explore factors (e.g., climate, pollution, trophodynamic shifts) that may be contributing to MMEDs. The methods that we have developed can be scaled up to the level of global assessment. The six datasets integrated for our Framework are: 1) MMED Database: Morbidity/mortality and adverse occurrences among coral, seagrasses, invertebrates, fish, sea turtles, shore birds, marine mammals, and humans, including Harmful Algal Bloom data. 2) Climate Databases: Sea-surface temperature anomalies, precipitation anomalies, unusual weather events, movement of the Gulf Stream, indices of climatological anomalies, including the NAO and El Nino phenomena. 3) Biophysical Databases: Dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients, river flux, metal concentrations, water column stratification, oxygen, salinity, solar radiation, presence/absence and abundance of indicator species. 4) Base-line Ecosystem Datasets: Chlorophyll biomass, plankton abundance and diversity, dynamics and life history for benthic and pelagic species, and their organization in trophodynamic guilds for particular places over time. 5) Economic Database: NMFS fisheries statistics, FEMA and SBA requests for assistance, and other economic and social costs of morbidity and mortality events. Case studies include Pfiesteria, Summer, 1997. 6) Mass-Media Database: Article searches of MMED-related stories and economic costs, to ensure complete coverage of data too recent to appear in published literature. Case studies include global marine mammal reports from 1997-98. Our data depicts a geographic expansion and overall increase in MMEDs, over the last several decades - including unprecedented events, and disturbances of increasing severity. These have had, in some cases, significant human health and economic impacts. Increased understanding of MMEDs, through the use of the tracking methodology described here, provides a justification and basis for a rapid response to public health risks and threats to ecosystems. For more information, see: "http://www.med.harvard.edu/chge/textbook/index.htm"

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Epstein PR. Is Global Warming Harmful to Health? Scientific American; August 2000 Epstein PR. Climate and Health. Science 1999: 285: 347-348 Epstein PR, Dobson A, Vandermeer J. Biodiversity and Emerging Infectious Diseases: Integrating Health and Ecosystem Monitoring. In Biodiversity and Human Health. Grifo F, Rosenthal J (Eds.). Island Press. Washington DC 1997. Epstein PR, Ford TE, Colwell RR. Marine ecosystems. Lancet 1993; 342: 1216-1219. Epstein PR. Emerging diseases and ecosystem instability: New threats to public health. American Journal of Public Health 1994; 85: 168-172. Patz JA, Epstein PR, Burke TA, Balbus JM. Global climate change and emerging infectious diseases. Journal of the American Medical Association 1996; 275: 217-223. Haines A, Epstein PR, McMichael AJ, on behalf of an international panel. Global health watch: monitoring impacts of environmental change. Lancet 1993; 342: 1463-1469. For human health and global environmental change publications, see: "http://www.med.harvard.edu/chge/resources.html"

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19951110

Ending_Date: 19990606

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -102.0

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -28.0

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 56.0

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -4.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > AGRICULTURE > AGRICULTURAL AQUATIC SCIENCES > FISHERIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > PRECIPITATION > PRECIPITATION ANOMALIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION > SOLAR RADIATION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > CONTAMINANT LEVELS/SPILLS > MARINE DISEASE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > PUBLIC HEALTH > DISEASES/EPIDEMICS > HUMAN ILLNESS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > CHLOROPHYLL

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > DISSOLVED GASES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > INORGANIC MATTER

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > TRACE METALS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE > SST ANOMALIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT > ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > AQUATIC SCIENCES > FISHERIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > ATMOSPHERIC/OCEAN INDICATORS > TELECONNECTIONS > EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) > ENSO

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > ATMOSPHERIC/OCEAN INDICATORS > TELECONNECTIONS > NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION > NAO

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > MAMMAL STRANDING

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PLANTS > ALGAE; HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > PLANKTON > PHYTOPLANKTON

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > PLANKTON

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > PIGMENTS > CHLOROPHYLL

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE HABITAT

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > SPECIES LIFE HISTORY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY DYNAMICS > BIODIVERSITY FUNCTIONS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY DYNAMICS > INDICATOR SPECIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY DYNAMICS > INDICATOR SPECIES > REGIONAL INDICATOR SPECIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOTOXICOLOGY > TOXICITY LEVELS > SHELLFISH TOXICITY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > PUBLIC HEALTH > MORBIDITY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > POPULATION > MORTALITY

Theme_Keyword: Ecosystem Health

Theme_Keyword: Global Data On Anecdotal Basis

Theme_Keyword: Marine Ecological Disturbances

Theme_Keyword: Marine Mammal Stranding

Theme_Keyword: Marine Morbidity

Theme_Keyword: Marine Mortality

Theme_Keyword: FARMING

Theme_Keyword: BIOTA

Theme_Keyword: CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Theme_Keyword: ECONOMY

Theme_Keyword: ENVIRONMENT

Theme_Keyword: GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

Theme_Keyword: HEALTH

Theme_Keyword: INLAND WATERS

Theme_Keyword: OCEANS

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO

Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Access_Constraints: Not Available

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: PAUL R. EPSTEIN

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Center for Health and the Global Environment

Address: Harvard Medical School

Address: 401 Park Drive, Second Floor

City: Boston

State_or_Province: MA

Postal_Code: 02215

Country: USA

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: paul_epstein@hms.harvard.edu

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Not Available

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

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Contact_Organization: HARVARD/HMS/CHGE > Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University

Contact_Person: CENTER FOR HEALTH AND THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Center for Health and the Global Environment

Address: Harvard Medical School

Address: 401 Park Drive, Second Floor

City: Boston

State_or_Province: MA

Postal_Code: 02215

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-384-8530

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-384-8585

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: chge@hms.harvard.edu

Resource_Description: HEED_UNH

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: Not Available

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://chge.med.harvard.edu/

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.med.harvard.edu/chge/textbook/index.htm...

Access_Instructions:

Human health and global environmental change

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20000324

Metadata_Review_Date: 20121108

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GCMD User Support Office

Contact_Organization: NASA Global Change Master Directory

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Not Available

City: Lanham

State_or_Province: MD

Postal_Code: 20706

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: Not Available

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gcmduso@gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time