Advancing Marine Biotechnology: Use of OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) Oil Platforms As Sustainable Sources of Marine Natural Products. Final Technical Summary. Final Study Report

摘要

The discovery and potential commercial use of pharmaceutically important products contained in marine invertebrates has led to numerous studies of these species. Interest in marine natural products for use in medical and industrial applications continues to grow worldwide. However, there is concern over the ecological impacts of the harvest of organisms from natural reefs because large quantities of organisms are typically needed to extract a small amount of a natural product. The harvest of organisms from manmade structures, including offshore oil and gas platforms, may eliminate impacts to natural reefs. Unfortunately, little information is available on the distribution and abundance or dynamics of invertebrates, including those possessing potentially useful natural products on oil platforms. This component of the project focused on the study of natural products from sea anemones, marine alga, and bryozoa living on the intertidal and subtidal portions of offshore oil production OCS (outer continental shelf) platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel.