Opportunities for Environmental Applications of Marine Biotechnology: Proceedings of the October 5-6, 1999 Workshop (2000)

Summary: The overall goals of the workshop were to examine opportunities for marine biotechnology, to discuss where things stood in the field of environmental marine biotechnology, to envision the field in the future, and to discuss any impediments that might be encountered along the way. These proceedings summarize the workshop that was held to discuss the role of marine biotechnology in preventing degradation of the environment, as well as in remediation and restoration. Speaker summarized the current state of knowledge for each topic and highlighted the research needs in each area. Participants discussed the development of strategies for preventing or inhibiting biofilm development; remediation of oil spills and of marsh pollution; restoration of coral reefs; and effects of heavy metals, overgrowth of microbes, and algal blooms. They also highlighted the critical knowledge gaps.