ABSTRACT
T he p o te n tia l o f th e o cean as th e b as is fo r n e w b io tech n o lo g y rem a in s la rg e ly u n e x p lo re d . T he v a s t n u m b e r o f m arin e o rg an ism s , p r im a rily m icroo rgan ism s, is y e t to b e iden tified . E ven for k n o w n o rgan ism s, th ere is in su ffic ien t k n o w le d g e to p e rm it th e ir in te llig en t m a n a g e m e n t a n d app lications. O ceanic o rgan ism s a re o f en o rm o u s scientific in terest, as they c o n s titu te a m ajo r sh a re o f th e E a r th 's b io lo g ica l re so u rces (Ray a n d E d ison , 2005). A lso , m arin e o rg an ism s o ften p o ssess u n iq u e s tru c tu re s , m etabo lic p a th w a y s , re p ro d u c tiv e sy s tem s, a n d se n so ry a n d defence m echan ism s because th ey h av e a d a p te d to ex trem e e n v iro n m en ts ran g in g from th e co ld p o la r seas a t -2 °C to th e g rea t p ressu res of th e ocean floor, w h e re h y d ro th e rm a l f lu id s sp ew forth . M ost m ajor classes o f th e E arth 's o rgan ism s are p rim arily o r exclusively m arin e , so th e oceans rep re sen t a source of u n iq u e genetic in fo rm ation .
