This textbook introduces marine biotechnology by collecting the key knowledge on genetics, fish breeding, genetic diversity, seaweed production and microalgae biotechnology, and explores marine biomaterials and how they can benefit human health. Covering the latest applications of marine biotechnology in natural product development, genomics, transgenic technology, cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical development, it particularly focuses on future biological resources, developing functional materials from marine life, production of marine bioenergy and marine microbial resources and biotechnology. The author explains the structure of the book in an introductory note, and each chapter offers a detailed overview and conclusion to help readers better grasp the acquired knowledge. Lastly, the final part provides a comprehensive glossary with brief explanations of the key concepts in marine biotechnology. Written by a leading expert in the field with more than 30 years of teaching experience, this book broadens students’ understanding of the basics and recent developments in marine biotechnology.

This book serves as essential reading for research scientists and biotechnologists from both academia and industry working in marine biotechnology and related disciplines. The book discusses recent advances and challenges in terms of science, technology, innovation, and policy for the development of the field; and how marine biotechnology may provide new solutions to some of the grand challenges faced by our society. Written in an accessible language, the book is also recommended as a reference text for decision-makers in government and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to foster the development of a global blue economy. With less than 5 % of the vast and rich marine environment explored, our seas and oceans represent a virtually unexplored resource for the discovery of novel product, processes, and development of bio-inspired synthetic drugs with biotechnological potential. As such, the marine environment has been considered Earth's last frontier of exploration. Recent advances in molecular techniques are providing the necessary tools to access on a larger scale the still-untapped ocean resources and, consequently, unveil the promise of the blue biotechnology. Governments are recognizing the potential of marine biotechnology to provide solutions to some of the Grand Challenges of the 21st Century such as sustainable energy and food sources, identification of novel drugs for improved health treatments, and providing new industrial materials and processes. For this reason, advances in marine biotechnology may foster the much-needed source of innovation and economic growth in many countries, and pave the way towards the development of a global blue economy, i.e. a new economic model based on the sustainable exploration of our ocean ecosystems.

This Springer Handbook provides, for the first time, a complete and consistent overview over the methods, applications, and products in the field of marine biotechnology. A large portion of the surface of the earth (ca. 70%) is covered by the oceans. More than 80% of the living organisms on the earth are found in aquatic ecosystems. The aquatic systems thus constitute a rich reservoir for various chemical materials and (bio-)chemical processes. Edited by a renowned expert with a longstanding experience, and including over 60 contributions from leading international scientists, the Springer Handbook of Marine Biotechnology is a major authoritative desk reference for everyone interested or working in the field of marine biotechnology and bioprocessing - from undergraduate and graduate students, over scientists and teachers, to professionals. Marine biotechnology is concerned with the study of biochemical materials and processes from marine sources, that play a vital role in the isolation of novel drugs, and to bring them to industrial and pharmaceutical development. Today, a multitude of bioprocess techniques is employed to isolate and produce marine natural compounds, novel biomaterials, or proteins and enzymes from marine organisms, and to bring them to applications as pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals or nutraceuticals, or for the production of bioenergy from marine sources. All these topics are addressed by the Springer Handbook of Marine Biotechnology. The book is divided into ten parts. Each part is consistently organized, so that the handbook provides a sound introduction to marine biotechnology - from historical backgrounds and the fundamentals, over the description of the methods and technology, to their applications - but it can also be used as a reference work. Key topics include: - Marine flora and fauna - Tools and methods in marine biotechnology - Marine genomics - Marine microbiology - Bioenergy and biofuels - Marine bioproducts in industrial applications - Marine bioproducts in medical and pharmaceutical applications - and many more...

Dramatic developments in understanding the fundamental underpinnings of life have provided exciting opportunities to make marine bioproducts an important part of the U.S. economy. Several marine based pharmaceuticals are under active commercial development, ecosystem health is high on the public's list of concerns, and aquaculture is providing an ever greater proportion of the seafood on our tables. Nevertheless, marine biotechnology has not yet caught the public's, or investor's, attention. Two workshops, held in October 1999 and November 2001 at the National Academies, were successful in highlighting new developments and opportunities in environmental and biomedical applications of marine biotechnology, and also in identifying factors that are impeding commercial exploitation of these products. This report includes a synthesis of the 2001 sessions addressing drug discovery and development, applications of genomics and proteomics to marine biotechnology, biomaterials and bioengineering, and public policy and essays contributed by the workshop speakers.

This contributed volume covers the applications of marine biotechnology for food, drugs and energy production using marine resources. It introduces many aspects of marine biotechnology, including bioenergy, pharmaceutical development, food security from mariculture, pollution handling, legal issues and conflicts. Information in the book is accompanied by clear images, flow charts, quantitative and qualitative data. Marine biotechnology is essential for realizing the previously untapped potential of marine bio-resources. These resources are used to develop innovative goods and procedures that aid in the global management of food, energy, and disease management. The development of innovative tools and solutions for more sustainable marine environmental management is another important section of this title. This reference book is of interest to teachers, researchers, and climate change scientists. It serves as an additional reading material for college, undergraduate, and graduate students of marine science and aquaculture. This is also a good research guide for food and fishing industry scientists.