Course: SAT 170 Introductory Biotechnology

Unit 13 Learning Module

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Bioremediation

Fishing boats, such as those pictured here are an important part of a wild-life fishery.
In unit 9 we discussed the role of microbes in the process of bioremediation. Recall that bioremedication is the use of living organisms, usually microorganisms, to remove pollutants from the environment. Aquatic habitats are the home to many naturally occurring oil eating microbes that are used to clean up oil spills. Additionally, some aquatic microorganisms are capable of degrading polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are pollutants from fossil fuels. Wastewater treatment is another form of bioremediation which uses a variety of organisms including marine algae as water purifying and filtration agents.

The food industry also relies heavily on marine-derived compounds. A significant amount of research has been dedicated to investigating the nutritional and health benefits of marine-derived food products and additives. Research indicates that marine-derived compounds can be useful in the processing, storage and fortification of food products. Furthermore, a growing body of research also supports the hypothesis that consuming such marine-derived compounds can provide protection against chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. For many years, algae has been used as food thickeners and gelling agents. You may recall from unit 6 that agar is a material isolated from the cell walls of certain algae that is used to create the agarose gels used for electrophoresis and is also used to create solid media for tissue cultures. That same material can be used in replacement of the animal based gelatin to solidify food products such as soups and pudding. We also know that the consumption of marine organisms themselves can provide us with valuable nutrients. For example, the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in the oils of some fish and the high protein, vitamin and mineral content of algae.

Understanding marine organisms and the marine environment through marine biotechnology can also assist in improving the quality and supply of seafood. This knowledge can be applied to the field of aquaculture. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms. Unlike commercial fishing, which focuses on collecting aquatic organisms in the wild, aquaculture relies on the cultivation of freshwater and saltwater organisms in controlled environments. The goal behind aquaculture is to increase the available fisheries to try to avoid the problem of overfishing which has the potential to reduce fish stocks world-wide. A fishery is a broad term that is used to describe a group of individuals, boats, and tools focused on raising or harvesting fish.  Creating effective fish farms relies on having knowledge of fish populations and the diseases that impact them. This knowledge, which can be obtained through marine biotechnology, will provide a better understanding of how to improve the management of those resources.

Additionally, the molecular techniques introduced in previous units (e.g. PCR, ELISA, blotting methods) can be employed for the detection of the presence of certain pathogens in order to avoid the spread of seafood-borne illness and protect the seafood industry.

One of the most important facets of marine biotechnology is to monitor ecosystem health and develop strategies to protect and restore coastal habitats. Through close examination of marine environments, signs of ecological stress can be detected early and thus handled more effectively, which may prevent loss of habitat and wild-life. Currently, nearly half of all of our coastal waters are unfit for swimming due to bacteria and pollutants. Using the tools and information provided by marine biotechnology, this problem may be solved and future problems such as this may be avoided. This will assist researchers in finding solutions for difficult environmental problems. We will discuss this topic in more detail in our next unit.
With an improved understanding of marine biology, we will be able to restore the ecological health of our coastal habitats.