Marine biotechnology was broadly defined based in a 1991 Office of Technology Assessment report, Biotechnology in a Global Economy, as "any technique that uses living marine organisms (or parts of these organisms) to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific uses." Such technology has been applied for many years to solving medical, environmental, and nutritional problems. The sometimes overstated publicity surrounding these applications has tended to obscure the fact that marine biotechnology remains in its infancy, with few recent drugs or other major products resulting from its application. Despite these somewhat disappointing results, scientists remain convinced that, as more is learned about the enormously diverse assemblage of species that inhabit the oceans, novel products and processes are likely to emerge through the specific use of marine biotechnology. This belief has been supported by the private sector and the federal government, which in 1995 spent approximately $55 million on marine biotechnology.
This special issue of BioScience outlines some of the advances in this field, as well as some future projections. What should come from a reading of these articles is the recognition that some products are being developed through the application of molecular biological techniques to marine organisms and that these approaches are elucidating many basic biological principles applicable to both marine and terrestrial organisms.
In this issue, Richard Radmer describes succinctly the products from marine algae, some of which are worth hundreds of millions of dollars as foods or dietary supplements, while Brad Cart‚ provides a list of the many natural products from marine prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Laura Tangley's discussion of the impacts of bioprospecting in the marine environment is predicated on the assumption that marine products will be manufactured in sufficient quantities to have environmental and economic impacts. Elizabeth Pennisi outlines the initial steps in implementing bioremediation--the use of marine microorganisms to solve pollution problems. Aileen and Daniel Morse combine fascinating basic biological insights on the settling of planktonic larvae with the potential medical applications of these results. With the decline of fisheries worldwide, more individuals are turning to aquaculture to grow fish and shellfish. Beth Baker provides a detailed look at oysters as an example of the success of genetic modifications of natural stocks to increase yield.
Marine biotechnology is just beginning to revolutionize our ability to better use marine resources. We can expect in the future to see advances in such areas as biomaterials, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, aquaculture and seafood safety, bioremediation, and biofilms and corrosion.
In our search for new products, we can also expect to learn a great deal more about the oceans themselves, as well as about the organisms that inhabit them. The use of genetic probes can enable us to track the origins and movement of populations of fish and other marine dwellers. We are also likely, as we learn more about marine organisms, to gain a better understanding of the cycling and consumption of important elements and compounds, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorous.
Applying modern techniques to the study of marine organisms should not only tell us about the oceans and give us valuable products and processes but also enable us to expand the use of marine organisms as models for biological and biomedical research. The squid and its giant nerve axon already have told us much of what we know about nerve transmission, while the eye of the horseshoe crab has revealed many of the mysteries of vision. The surf clam is now used extensively to study the cell cycle and its control, and the toadfish provides a superb model for studying the mechanisms of balance control. The sea urchin continues to be a key model for learning about the molecular and cellular bases of reproduction and development, while the shark and the skate have taught us about both immunology and vision.
It is clear, though, that using the seas and its inhabitants for new processes and products is likely to require more than just biological understanding. For marine biotechnology to expand, we need also to engage those people with product development skills, capital to invest, legal expertise, and understanding of public issues. Only then will we be able to make exciting biological discoveries and take some of them to the marketplace.