The majority of potentially harmful animal
encounters in the Maltese Islands relate to marine species. Marine life,
particularly the invertebrates, shows a wide diversity of species many
of which have developed protective or hunting mechanisms involving toxicity.
This hazardous species diversity, together with the heavy human presence
at coastal sites during the summer months, accounts for the high frequency
of encounters. Mediderranean marine toxic species are not as toxic as their
tropical cousins, but may still pose a threat in hypersensitive individuals.
Not all marine animal species are however harmful. Besides being a source
of food, some species have been described to have potentially useful
biological properties.
