Impact and Challenges of Marine Medicine to Man and its Environment

Abstract

Marine Medicine is a science of healing, maintaining and restoring health by prevention and treatment in relation to ocean derivatives. It has an associated corollary field called Dive Medicine. Marine ecosystem is a source of unique natural products which are mainly accumulated in living organism and serves as useful pharmacologically active substances. Marine Sponges, Molluscans, Algae, Corals, Ascidians, Bryozoans and Vertebrates are major sources of biomedical compounds. A few medical derived product such as Cytarabrine (Adenine arabinoside), Vidabrine (Cytosine arabinoside), Prialt and Trabectedin are approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA); additionally several others are currently in preclinical and clinical pipeline. The main emphasis of marine drug discovery is given in search of cure for deadly disease. Divers are exposed to a number of physiological risks as a result of exposure to deep sea. Application of antihistamine drugs, pharmacotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are the curative method in the treatment of most disease and injuries in marine environment. The Marine environment is vast but not infinite and as a result there is a need for protection of this resource by conservation. Conservation of the marine environment provides enormous benefits for a sustainable future. Marine medicine has given hope to fight debilitating disease of man such as Osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, auto-immune disease and Cancer. To provide and sustain a high momentum of research in marine medicine, there is a need for advance conservation, increased research, more skilled divers, taxonomist, marine chemist and sufficient financial support to improve the benefits of marine medicine to man.