TONIC

Malnutrition, which includes extreme hunger, undernutrition and obesity among other conditions, affects a large part of the human population, especially in the intertropical zone. In the Pacific, a significant part of the food comes from coral reef fisheries. The nutritional quality of fish (e.g. macro- and micro-nutrients) is an essential element of the nutritional health of local populations. However, various risks affect fish communities, such as pollution by contaminants, habitat degradation, etc. In this context, the TONIC project has 3 objectives. The 1st will assess the nutritional quality of fish consumed by local populations. The 2nd will evaluate the experimental effects of 2 major pollutants on the nutritional value, survival and fecundity of 2 fish species, frequently consumed by human local populations. The 3rd will model different scenarios (increase in temperature and pollution, overfishing, etc.) on the nutritional quality of fish. This will allow looking at the 'balance' between risks and benefits associated with fish consumption and to inform decision-markers.