As part of the MaHeWa project, a team from the Louis Malardé Institute (ILM) is currently conducting fieldwork in the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. This mission is part of Work Package 2 – Task 2.2, which focuses on studying the impacts of harmful algal blooms (HAB), particularly those related to ciguatera, a marine foodborne intoxication caused by microalgae of the genus Gambierdiscus.
The objective of this mission is to understand how marine heatwaves influence the presence, growth, and toxicity of these microalgae in Polynesian lagoons. The research conducted will contribute to assessing the physiological costs associated with thermal tolerance and the functions affected during these extreme warming events.
In the field, researchers monitor the genetic composition of natural Gambierdiscus populations as well as their toxicity levels. Two environmental monitoring stations have been installed: one in Rikitea Bay and the other in Gatavake Bay. These stations will make it possible to examine how temperature, light, and salinity shape the dynamics of these toxic microorganisms. The collected data will support efforts to anticipate ciguatera risks, which represent a major public health concern and a key ecological resilience issue in the Pacific region.
This mission is led by Mireille Chinain (ILM, EIO). The Municipality of the Gambier Islands has encouraged residents not to handle the monitoring instruments, as the data gathered will be valuable for all the islands and will contribute to protecting Polynesian lagoons in the face of climate change.
Māuruuru to the ILM team for its commitment to advancing science and safeguarding marine life.
