Response and Intervention System for Climate Change Induced Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) in Aleut Communities

Specimens were collected and analyzed from 21 communities extending the length of the Aleutian Islands where little baseline data is available on the prevalence of PSP toxin. Samples were collected between April 22, 2006 and December 17, 2007. Low levels of paralytic shellfish toxin were found. The field tests were confirmed by the Jellett Biotek laboratory, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and NOAA Marine Biotoxins Program. Comparative analysis showed JRT as an efficient method for rapid screening in order to eliminate shellfish containing low levels of toxin but this technique had a high percentage of false positives. Two communities, Sand Point in Alaska and Nikolskoye in Russia, participated in a traditional knowledge survey. The data were analyzed by sociologists from Westat Inc., Rockville, MD. The current understanding by the communities of safe practices of shellfish harvesting does not provide them with the means to determine the presence or absence of toxin. Employing chemical analyses and sociological surveys, the project established a baseline for PSP occurrence and harvesting practices that led to recommendations for setting up PSP monitoring by the communities. This is the first time such baseline study has been accomplished in the Aleut region in Alaska and on Bering Island in Russia. The findings of this project support the need for long-term monitoring for PSP in the region. These datasets were archived as part of the North Pacific Research Board legacy project recovery effort undertaken by Axiom Data Science and NPRB in 2025. The goal of the recovery effort was to assess the NPRB-funded data projects from 2002 to 2014 and archive final data packages that were ready for publication to increase long-term accessibility and discoverability. Data packages were archived as is given limited funding and resources.研究人员从横贯阿留申群岛全域的21个社区采集并分析了样本，该区域此前几乎没有关于麻痹性贝毒（Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning，简称PSP）流行率的基线数据。样本采集时间为2006年4月22日至2007年12月17日，期间检出低浓度麻痹性贝毒。现场检测结果经Jellett Biotek实验室、阿拉斯加环境保护部以及美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration，简称NOAA）海洋生物毒素项目确认。对比分析显示，JRT是一种高效的快速筛查方法，可用于剔除携带低浓度毒素的贝类，但该技术存在较高的假阳性率。 阿拉斯加的桑德波因特（Sand Point）与俄罗斯的尼古拉斯科耶（Nikolskoye）两个社区参与了传统知识调研，调研数据由来自马里兰州罗克维尔市的Westat Inc.社会学家完成分析。当前各社区对贝类捕捞安全操作的认知，尚不足以帮助其判断贝类是否携带毒素。 本项目通过化学分析与社会学调研，为PSP毒素发生情况及贝类捕捞操作建立了基线数据，并据此提出了由社区自主开展PSP监测的建议。这是首次在阿拉斯加阿留申地区及俄罗斯白令岛完成此类基线研究。本项目的研究结果证实，该区域亟需开展长期的PSP监测工作。 本数据集由Axiom Data Science与北太平洋研究委员会（North Pacific Research Board，简称NPRB）于2025年开展的北太平洋研究委员会遗留项目抢救工作中完成归档。本次抢救工作的目标为评估2002年至2014年间由NPRB资助的数据项目，并将已具备发布条件的最终数据包进行归档，以提升数据的长期可获取性与可发现性。鉴于资金与资源有限，所有数据包均以原始状态完成归档。