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 A Preview of our August Mission-- Rainforests have yielded a number of natural products which have been used in the development of pharmaceuticals. While terrestrial sources have produced numerous drugs, the sea represents a relatively untapped resource for new drug development.
This summer, @Sea will let you join a team of scientists on the Research Vessel EDWIN LINK as they document the biodiversity of pristine, deep-water habitats around the Florida Keys and Gulf of Mexico. There, biomedical researchers from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution hope to find cures for human diseases. Follow along as they use a manned submersible to collect organisms from this largely unexplored environment.
When: August 5th through August 25th, 1999.
Where: The continental shelf and slope and into the Florida Straits to depths of 3000 feet around the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Expedition: Dr. Shirley Pomponi, Director of HBOI's Division of Biomedical Marine Research (DBMR), will lead a team of marine biologists, microbiologists, molecular biologists, and chemists to document the biodiversity and habitats of this unique region. The 4-man Johnson-Sea-Link Research Submersible (JSL), equipped with lights, cameras, data loggers, and collecting devices will be used to explore at depths of 100 - 3000 feet.
Specimens will be collected as the science team wades, snorkels, scuba dives, and dives in the JSL. In the R/V EDWIN LINK's laboratories, these specimens will be tested for novel, bioactive compounds that may have the potential to treat human diseases.
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