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Tap the enormous potential of marine species for developing new pharmaceuticals and biomaterials, and apply the tools of biotechnology to restore and monitor the marine environment.

In 1990, leading scientists predicted that the application of the modern tools of biotechnology and molecular and cellular biology to marine organisms and ecosystems would create a revolution in the ocean sciences that would be fundamental in nature, exponential in pace, and unprecedented in its scientific and economic impacts. In the decade that has followed this prediction, stunning results have been reported as the tools of marine biotechnology have been applied to solve problems in the areas of public health and human disease, seafood safety and supply, new materials and processes, and marine ecosystem restoration and remediation.

Many classes of marine organisms demonstrate a wide variety of compounds with unique structural features that suggest medicinal, agricultural, and industrial applications. However, even though 80% of all life forms on Earth are present only in the oceans, their enormous potential as the basis for new products remains largely unexplored. The U.S. government has traditionally invested less than 1% of its total biotechnology research and development budget in marine biotechnology. Productive new avenues for the commercial development of marine-derived compounds will enhance the use of aquatic resources and contribute to the global economy.

Ongoing Concerns

• There may exist potential risks related to the release of genetically altered species within the marine environment.
• Current technology is inadequate both to access remote marine biotechnology sites and to commercially develop marine biotechnology products.
• A lack of information about baseline conditions of the marine environment makes it difficult to assess the environmental impacts of biotechnology.
• There is no mechanism currently in place to ensure that profits derived from publicly owned resources will be shared with the public and used appropriately.

Recommendations

• Increase support for sustainable harvesting and testing of marine compounds by both government agencies and commercial pharmaceutical companies as possible treatments for AIDS, inflammatory or infectious diseases, and cancers.
• Assess the potential risks of genetically modified marine organisms to human health, marine diversity, and the environment, and communicate any concerns to the public.
• Develop investment incentives to encourage partnerships with academia and industry in marine biotechnology.
• Support research on the environmental effects of extracting marine organisms for biotechnology purposes.
• Support the application to marine sciences of modern biotechnology tools commonly used in the biomedical arena.
• Develop technologies to access and develop marine biotechnology sites, such as remote and manned submersibles, and techniques to screen products and commercially reproduce chemical compounds without requiring more raw material.
• Focus on organisms found in extreme environments to identify unique products with high commercial potential.
• Consider establishing a federal marine environment fund to benefit from royalties and payments from commercial uses of federally owned resources.

For more information

http://www.imb.nrc.ca/imb/imb.html
http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org
http://www.umbi.umd.edu/
http://www.biotech.wisc.edu
http://www.eng.nsf.gov/bes/default.htm
http://www.geo.nsf.gov/oce/biotheme.htm#tech
http://www.nucb.org/