ABSTRACT
Chemical defenses employed by many organisms have proved to be a valuable source of novel chemotypes providing lead compounds for drug discovery and agrochemicals. Among the least-explored of the planet’s chemically defended organisms are the invertebrates, algae, fungi, and bacteria of the marine environment. The oceans are populated with sponges, coelenterates, and microorganisms waging an ecological struggle with biochemical weapons. In the last several decades these organisms have proved to be a rich reservoir of biologically active natural products.
