Shore Line: Science & potential

Florida Sea Grant

Researchers are using the venom from cone snails to produce pain relief drugs for humans.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

A healthy ocean allows for discovery of potential life saving drugs and valuable industry-related compounds.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Several species of deepwater sponges have shown great promise in combating highly-resistant forms of a cancer.

NOAA

New methods of identifying shark parts are allowing resource managers to better assess the extent to which shark populations around the world are being exploited.

While Florida’s rich ocean environments provide us with breath-taking views, world class fishing, and myriad of other recreational opportunities, they also serve as a living laboratory teeming with potential life saving drugs and industry-valuable compounds.

In the broadest sense, marine biotechnology is the use of marine organisms or their components to provide goods or services that enhance the quality of our lives and environment. While this lesser known subfield of biotechnology is still relatively young, its potential to save human lives and reverse environmental damage is staggering.

Our oceans harbor a rich source of biodiversity and several marine organisms such as soft corals, snails, tunicates, bryozoans (moss-like animals), and even bacteria possess substances called bioactive compounds that can be used to fight some of our most prevalent diseases.

For example, cone snails, whose shells are coveted by shell collectors, possess a diverse complex of potent venoms used in capturing and paralyzing their prey. Researchers have discovered this venom mix possesses components that affect the human nervous system. The components have the potential to alter the way humans perceive pain; specifically with the progression of strokes and other nervous system diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

One of the drugs that have been developed from this venom is an FDA-approved painkiller called Prialt, which is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and is non-addictive. Scientists are also finding each species of cone snail possess unique compounds in their venom, which is promising for future discoveries.

Just as fascinating has been the discovery of deep-sea sponges with cancer-fighting properties. A chemical extracted from a particular species called discodermolide has proven extremely successful in combating pancreatic and other highly drug-resistant forms of cancer. Despite setbacks in developing a cost effective synthetic version that could be produced in mass quantities, the chemical is currently being tested in clinical trials.

The benefits from marine biotechnology do not stop at the medicine cabinet. Its applications are often used in industry and resource management. For example, bioactive compounds derived from different types of marine life have been used to develop eco friendly anti-fouling paints for boat hulls, bioremediation products oil spill clean ups, and tools and techniques to monitor and detect harmful algal blooms. Researchers are constantly discovering new applications to help protect and manage coastal and marine resources as well.

For instance, shark populations around the globe have declined in past decades due to overfishing and illegal trade of shark fins, which are prized in many Asian markets. In the past, trying to identify the species of shark from the fins was all but impossible. This made management and enforcement actions difficult. Researchers have developed a rapid yet accurate method of identifying the shark species from the fins from using technology that looks for DNA segments that are unique to each species. This technique has been used to study the global trade of sharks and is helping managers assess the extent to which different populations of sharks are exploited.

In addition to enhancing our health and protecting precious coastal and marine resources, the growing field of marine biotechnology also has the potential to attract and train new students at our state universities, create high paying jobs, and entice new companies to the Sunshine State.

Over 50 percent of the marketed drugs we depend on are extracted from natural sources or produced using natural resources as a template. This naturally leads to two questions:

1. What life saving drugs or environmental benefits are there yet to be discovered in our oceans?

2. What potential discoveries have been lost due to habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, and/or climate change?

The global effort to protect our oceans and other natural systems is not just about protecting the wildlife that inhabits them; it’s vital to our own health and well being. Over 70 percent of Earth is covered by oceans and everyday scientists discover something new about the organisms living there and/or how humans can benefit from them.

More than 80 percnet of Earth’s living organisms can only be found in aquatic ecosystems and we know very little about the chemical or genetic make up for many of them. The field of marine biotechnology is still in its infancy, but the need to facilitate these beneficial discoveries will increase as we continue to put more pressure on our oceans. To learn more about the benefits of marine biotechnology visit http://www.biotech.seagrant.org/.

Bryan Fluech is the Collier County Sea Grant Extension Agent with the University of Florida and can be reached at Fluech@ufl.edu