Numerous seafood poisoning have been identified in the region, involving reef fishes (ciguatera), sharks (carchatoxism), turtles (chelonitoxism), sardines (clupeotoxism), puffer fishes (tetrodotoxism). Carchatoxism is an endemic and severe problem specific of Madagascar. Ecotoxicological processes involved are poorly known (sources and natures of toxins, species involved, ...). These problems being of global concern for the countries of the region and with respect to the requirements of seafood safety for local consumption and external trading, the Regional Environment Program of the Indian Ocean Commission/European Union (REP-COI) established in march 1998 a "Marine Ecotoxicology" component which has focused its activities in the following areas : § Establishment of a regional network based on the national existing facilities of the COI countries, § Capacity building with organization of training workshops, § Survey of risk factors following the 1998 bleaching event, Development of a practical manual for monitoring epidemiological, toxicological and environmental data produced by member of the network. These activities are promoted to meet with the needs of management of coastal ecosystems as part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management