BENEFICIAL ROLE OF THE OCEANS? the salicylates [aspirin])were utilized in single-ingredient for- In this issue of Oceanography,the majority of the papers pre mulations(i.e"drugs").As time passed,these molecules be- sented focus on the harmful health effects of the oceans cre- came the foundation of the new discipline of organic chemis- ated by oceanic events,anthropogenic influences,and harmful try.The developing pharmaceutical industries evolved to focus marine life.These are important issues that dramatically affect their efforts on purifying new drugs from these traditional eth human health,but at the same time this view does not reflect nomedicines(Therapeutic Research Faculty,2006). the fact that we are just now realizing some of the health-re The discovery of penicillin in the late 190s by Alexander lated benefits from the oceans.Comprising 34 of the 36 Phyla Fleming was perhaps the single most important medical dis- of life,marine ecosystems are indeed our last genetic diversity covery in modern times.This,and subsequent discoveries by and biotechnological frontier terrestrial systems possessony Selman Waksman(ie.,actinomycin and other antibiotics)and 17 Phyla.We have much to learn. other researchers,changed how drugs were discovered and Humankind has explored and explo oited the terrestrial envi- how Nature was explored (Berdy,005).The pharmaceuti ronment for more than 3000 years,leading to the examination cal industry,worldwide,quickly evolved by embracing these of almost every possible resource on land.In the future,similar findings,and subsequently discovered hundreds of"wonder explorations of the world's oceans,using modern chemical and drugs"that had the capability to cure pneumonia and almost molecular genetic technologies,will uncover a rich treasure all bacterial infectious diseases.These natural"wonder drugs chest of new medicinal products,cosmetics,foods,industrial saved millions of lives during and after World War II.and gav chemicals,and new,environment-friendly industrial processes. us the false sense that the great plagues of the past(c.g..chol- As we have benefited from life on land,it is reasonable to pre- era)would never again be seen (see Laws case study,this issue). dict that the next few decades will be filled with new discoveries More than 120 antibiotics,anticancer agents,and other thera- from our greatest untapped resource,the world's oceans.In this peutics originally derived from microorganisms that are found short synopsis,I will attempt,admittedly in a non-comprehen- nsoil are still prescribed today sive way,to summarize the past and current status of marine medicine,and to emphasize the important role the oceans will DISCOVERY OF THE OCEANS IN THE 1960s- play in human medicine in the decades to come THE PAST It is interesting to note that,historically,the oceans were rarely NATURAL PRODUCTS AND THE TREATMENT considered as a likely soure for natural medicines.In souther OF HUMAN DISEASE China,a poorly described marine ethnomedicine evolved,but More than 3000 years ago,early societies recognized that the this approach was not generally seen elsewhere.Despite biolo- diversity of plant lifearound them could be used for the treat- gists exploring life in the oceans in the ment of human illness.Natural "preparations,"in the form the linkage of medicine and marine biodiversity was never of teas or salves derived from plants,were commonly used to made.Even in more modern times,the pharmaceutical indus treat pain,infections,gastrointestinal maladies,inflammation, tries made little effort to examine life in the sea.This is under cancer,and many other common illnesses.Traditional healers standable because the ocean was virtually unknown,and diffi evolved who were consulted to treat illness,and the knowledge cult and dangerous to explore,while new drugs from terrestria of these individuals was passed down to understudies or ap- plants,and later soil microorganisms,were plentiful. prentices who continue to practice todayToday,for economic Asa consequence,the enormous resources of the oceans lay as well as traditional reasons,much of the developing world dormant until the mid to late 1960s when small groups of or. still relies on natural medicines(e.g.,ethnomedicines or tradi- ganic chemists in the United States,Europe,and Japan begar tional medicines)for the treatment of human disease to collect,extract,and chemically explore the diversity of ma Over time,the"active ingredients"from traditional medi- rine life.Pioneers like Paul Scheuer and Richard Moore in the cines were chemically purified,and during theand United States,Luigi Minale and Ernesto Fattorusso in Italy,and 2cnturies some of these drugs (morphie,unne, a small group of Japanese researchers(who were already the Oceanography I Vol 19.No.June 2006 111Oceanography Vol. 19, No. 2, June 2006 111 BENEFICIAL ROLE OF THE OCEANS? In this issue of Oceanography, the majority of the papers pre￾sented focus on the harmful health effects of the oceans cre￾ated by oceanic events, anthropogenic infl uences, and harmful marine life. These are important issues that dramatically affect human health, but at the same time this view does not refl ect the fact that we are just now realizing some of the health-re￾lated benefi ts from the oceans. Comprising 34 of the 36 Phyla of life, marine ecosystems are indeed our last genetic diversity and biotechnological frontier; terrestrial systems possess only 17 Phyla. We have much to learn. Humankind has explored and exploited the terrestrial envi￾ronment for more than 3000 years, leading to the examination of almost every possible resource on land. In the future, similar explorations of the world’s oceans, using modern chemical and molecular genetic technologies, will uncover a rich treasure chest of new medicinal products, cosmetics, foods, industrial chemicals, and new, environment-friendly industrial processes. As we have benefi ted from life on land, it is reasonable to pre￾dict that the next few decades will be fi lled with new discoveries from our greatest untapped resource, the world’s oceans. In this short synopsis, I will attempt, admittedly in a non-comprehen￾sive way, to summarize the past and current status of marine medicine, and to emphasize the important role the oceans will play in human medicine in the decades to come. NATUR AL PRODUCTS AND THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN DISEASE More than 3000 years ago, early societies recognized that the diversity of plant life around them could be used for the treat￾ment of human illness. Natural “preparations,” in the form of teas or salves derived from plants, were commonly used to treat pain, infections, gastrointestinal maladies, infl ammation, cancer, and many other common illnesses. Traditional healers evolved who were consulted to treat illness, and the knowledge of these individuals was passed down to understudies or ap￾prentices who continue to practice today. Today, for economic as well as traditional reasons, much of the developing world still relies on natural medicines (e.g., ethnomedicines or tradi￾tional medicines) for the treatment of human disease. Over time, the “active ingredients” from traditional medi￾cines were chemically purifi ed, and during the 19th and 20th centuries some of these drugs (e.g., morphine, quinine, the salicylates [aspirin]) were utilized in single-ingredient for￾mulations (i.e., “drugs”). As time passed, these molecules be￾came the foundation of the new discipline of organic chemis￾try. The developing pharmaceutical industries evolved to focus their efforts on purifying new drugs from these traditional eth￾nomedicines (Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2006). The discovery of penicillin in the late 1920s by Alexander Fleming was perhaps the single most important medical dis￾covery in modern times. This, and subsequent discoveries by Selman Waksman (i.e., actinomycin and other antibiotics) and other researchers, changed how drugs were discovered and how Nature was explored (Bérdy, 2005). The pharmaceuti￾cal industry, worldwide, quickly evolved by embracing these fi ndings, and subsequently discovered hundreds of “wonder drugs” that had the capability to cure pneumonia and almost all bacterial infectious diseases. These natural “wonder drugs” saved millions of lives during and after World War II, and gave us the false sense that the great plagues of the past (e.g., chol￾era) would never again be seen (see Laws case study, this issue). More than 120 antibiotics, anticancer agents, and other thera￾peutics originally derived from microorganisms that are found in soil are still prescribed today. DISCOVERY OF THE OCEANS IN THE 1960s THE PAST It is interesting to note that, historically, the oceans were rarely considered as a likely source for natural medicines. In southern China, a poorly described marine ethnomedicine evolved, but this approach was not generally seen elsewhere. Despite biolo￾gists exploring life in the oceans in the 18th and 19th centuries, the linkage of medicine and marine biodiversity was never made. Even in more modern times, the pharmaceutical indus￾tries made little effort to examine life in the sea. This is under￾standable because the ocean was virtually unknown, and diffi - cult and dangerous to explore, while new drugs from terrestrial plants, and later soil microorganisms, were plentiful. As a consequence, the enormous resources of the oceans lay dormant until the mid to late 1960s when small groups of or￾ganic chemists in the United States, Europe, and Japan began to collect, extract, and chemically explore the diversity of ma￾rine life. Pioneers like Paul Scheuer and Richard Moore in the United States, Luigi Minale and Ernesto Fattorusso in Italy, and a small group of Japanese researchers (who were already the Oceanography Vol. 19, No. 2, June 2006 111