Beschrijving

This handbook is a comprehensive, multi-volume reference work on naturally-occurring toxins, and this particular volume focuses on marine toxins and venoms. It presents detailed chapters contributed by experts covering the biology of venomous marine animals, the chemistry and pharmacology of their toxins (such as tetrodotoxin, saxitoxin, sponge and sea-cucumber toxins, and fish-skin toxins), detection methods (e.g., for paralytic shellfish poisoning), and public-health aspects (such as red-tide events and seafood-allergy risks). The work functions both as an advanced scientific reference and as an interdisciplinary bridge between marine biology, toxicology, pharmacology and environmental health. In addition to describing the mechanisms of toxin action and distribution across species, the volume emphasizes applications and implications: how marine-derived toxins inform medical research, how monitoring and regulatory frameworks respond to toxin threats, and how ecological shifts (e.g., algal blooms) impact human exposure. Its structure—with chapters grouped by organism type (fish, shellfish, algae, etc.), toxin class, and clinical or ecological concern—makes it useful for researchers, practitioners and policy-makers alike.