An international study that involved the Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos (CEAC) confirmed the presence of several species of benthic microalgae from the genus Gambierdiscus along the coast of Havana, some of which are associated with the production of ciguatoxins.
Among the main findings of the study is the first identification of Gambierdiscus australes in both Cuban waters and the Caribbean Sea, the CEAC revealed when publicly disclosing the results on September 15.
The research, published last August in the scientific journal ACS Environmental Au, identified six species of Gambierdiscus from 35 isolates obtained at two locations along the Havana coast. The analyses also confirmed the presence of C-CTX5 in a Cuban strain of Gambierdiscus silvae, providing new evidence concerning the origin of ciguatoxins in the Caribbean.
The scientific team, which is multidisciplinary and international, isolated and analyzed 35 monoclonal strains of benthic microalgae obtained from samples collected along the coast of Havana.
A total of six species of the genus Gambierdiscus were identified in those samples, among which Gambierdiscus caribaeus proved to be the most abundant.
One of the most significant outcomes was the confirmation, through biological assays and mass spectrometry, of the production of ciguatoxin C-CTX5 by a Cuban strain of Gambierdiscus silvae. According to Prensa Latina, this evidence "reinforces the role of this species as a significant source of ciguatoxins in the region." This toxin can act as a precursor to ciguatoxins C-CTX1 and C-CTX2, which are dominant in ciguatoxic fish in the Caribbean.
The chemical analyses also revealed the presence of other metabolites: gambierone and 44-methylgambierone. The Cuban state agency indicated that these results "enhance our understanding of the biodiversity of microalgae in the Caribbean."
The study involved, alongside CEAC, specialists from the Institute of Research and Technology in Food Production and the Rovira i Virgili University in Spain, as well as from the Scientific Research and Higher Education Center of Ensenada (CICESE) in Mexico.
The research was framed within the CIGUATOX project — "Diversity, distribution, and toxicity of Gambierdiscus spp. and Fukuyoa spp. in Cuba" — funded by the Nuclear Energy and Advanced Technologies Agency (AENTA), with additional support from the Spanish programs BiOCEANsing and CIGUAADAPT, as well as the European project BlueShellfish.
The ciguatera is an endemic food poisoning in the Caribbean primarily caused by the consumption of fish that accumulate ciguatoxins originally produced by benthic microalgae of genera such as Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. In Cuba, the disease has a long documented history.
An epidemiological study conducted over 16 years in the province of Ciego de Ávila recorded, between 1983 and 1998, 46 outbreaks with 305 cases, without any fatalities; nearly half of the outbreaks (47.8%) occurred between July and September. Another study, conducted with 227 patients treated in Havana between 1999 and 2005, identified the barracuda as the species most frequently associated with poisonings, with 74 cases.
Cuban regulations prohibit or restrict, depending on the species and weight, the capture, landing, and commercialization of various fish considered potentially toxic, including the picúa or barracuda, the coronados, the platform jurel, and certain species of groupers and snappers. Historically, these regulations have contributed to reducing incidents linked to the formal fishing circuit, although controlling ciguatera requires maintaining epidemiological and health surveillance, particularly in the face of unauthorized catches and sales.
The symptoms of ciguatera range from gastrointestinal manifestations—nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain—to neurological issues such as tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness, as well as cardiovascular disturbances.
El CEAC, headquartered in Cienfuegos, is a Cuban institution dedicated to environmental research with a significant line of inquiry on coastal marine ecosystems and has been designated in 2024 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a collaborating center in Cuba for coastal and marine health issues.
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