An Underwater Pharmacy

Scientists have already developed many medical treatments from resources found in the world’s oceans, For instance:
Secosteroids, an enzyme used by corals to protect themselves from disease, is used to treat asthma, arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.
Bryozoan Bugula neritina, a common fouling organism (similar to barnacles) that’s found in both temperate and tropical climates, is a source for the anti-cancer compound bryostatin 1. The U.S. National Cancer Institute recently collected more than 26,000 pounds of the organism from docks and pilings with little impact on the population.
Blue-green algae, commonly found in Caribbean mangroves, are used to treat small-cell lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute also endorsed blue-green algae for the treatment of melanoma and some tumors.
Two drugs currently on the market for cancer and pain come from marine sources. Twenty-five more marine-derived medicines are being evaluated in human trials right now.
Yondelis®, the first new treatment in 30 years for soft-tissue sarcoma, is extracted from the sea squirt, a sac-like filter feeder.
And with just a few more years of research, it seems likely that scientists will uncover even more therapeutic secrets in the sea:
A series of organic chemicals isolated from a soft coral called the Caribbean sea whip seem to have an impressive anti-inflammatory effect on human skin.
Bioactive molecules produced by marine invertebrates such as sea sponges, tunicates and sea hares have displayed potent anti-viral, anti-tumor and antibacterial activity.
Researchers are studying bivalves, a class of mollusks, to learn more about aging processes, including metabolic activity and environmental stressors.