New centers for oceans and human health.

One in twenty: that's the percentage of people who develop rashes, nausea, or other symptoms after swimming in marine waters with levels of pollution deemed acceptable by the European Union and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, according to the World Health Organization. Most people infected by pathogens in the water generally will recover quickly, as will those exposed to harmful algal blooms (HABs), sometimes known as red tides. But in rare cases, especially among the young or the elderly, illnesses can be severe, resulting in life-threatening infections or—in the case of exposure to algal toxins—paralysis, neu-rological disorders, and death. With the aim of reducing disease and death among people who eat seafood and swim in oceans and bays, scientists at four new research centers will study the ecology, oceanography, genetics, and health effects of marine pathogens. Center scientists will also search for new marine sources of antibiotics and other drugs. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the NIEHS announced funding for the four joint Centers for Oceans and Human Health on 22 April 2004. The two agencies will invest about $5 million annually for a total of $25 million to support the centers, which are located at the " Oceans have become conduits for a number of environmental threats to human health, " said NIEHS director Kenneth Olden at the time of the centers' announcement. " At the same time, oceans harbor a diverse array of organisms that show great promise for providing new drugs to combat cancer and fight infectious diseases. In order to guard against health threats and to take advantage of medicinal benefits that oceans might provide , the impact of oceans on human health must be more fully explored. " " The NIEHS has recognized the linkage between oceans and human health for a number of years, as evidenced by its support of marine-related research projects on the effects of toxins from HABs and contaminated seafood consumption, and a set of Freshwater and Marine Biological Research Centers, " says center program administrator Fred Tyson. " Moreover, the NIEHS has embraced the concept of using multi-and interdisciplinary approaches to address complex environmental health issues with programs such as its Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research and Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities. " " I'm glad to see the NSF and the NIEHS involved in this, " says Walter McLeod, president of the …