Question: what is marine biotechnology

Alison Hughes answered on 12 Jun 2018:

Marine species produce really interesting chemicals that they use for their survival in their own environment. Marine biotechnology studies these chemicals and their potential uses for humans. This could be as a health supplement (fish oils), cosmetics (seaweed for skincare), pigments/colourants for food colouring or textiles, and medicine too. I specifically study microalgae, which you may see as a green “scum” on the top of lakes and ponds. They have really great chemicals and you can buy microalgae (called spirulina or chlorella) as a powder in shops to put in smoothies to make them more healthy. They also produce chemicals that can treat different illnesses and diseases