Discovering Cures For Disease From The Ocean

Editor: oceanopportunity

A pioneering 2002 expedition exposed immeasurable potential for discovery of new medicines. We now have the people, the plan, and the passion...

Introduction

Some food for thought…

-More than 1.3 million new cancer cases occur in the US each year.

-An estimated 55,000 will die this year, as a result of cancer.

-It is estimated that 97% of our ocean has yet to be thoroughly explored.

-Over 99 percent of living space on Earth is in the ocean.

-An estimated five million species, most of which have not yet been classified, reside beneath the waves.

-About 1 in every 5000 marine species produces chemicals that result in new medicines.

-More than 50% of today’s available anti-cancer drugs were derived from marine sources.

…You do the math.

History

The pivotally inspirational moment in my career was a 2002 exploration in the Exumas, Bahamas, where I coordinated among the first mixed-gas diving programs under AAUS (American Academy of Underwater Sciences) auspices. ‘Mixed-gas’ refers to a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, and helium that allows for very deep diving, without the toxic effects of high oxygen content, and without the narcotic effects of nitrogen. At a depth of 300 feet, in less than 8-minutes of dive time (limited by the technology available at that time), more than a dozen new marine species were discovered, nearly half of which were later found to produce chemicals useful in combating cancer and other human conditions.

Imagine the potential of 'the 9th minute'.

What stands to be gained from this is significant and lends itself to a model – of science, technology, and society working together.

Innovation

The ability to achieve this ‘9th minute’ is only possible with new innovations in life support design for manned-exploration. Today, new diving technologies allow scientists to explore for up to 8 hours on a single dive, and allow fairly routine excursions to be made to depths of 90meters (300feet) or more. My response to the need for new innovations has been the development of the Exploration Technologies Group (http://www.ex-tg.com). The eXTG is developing the technologies and techniques that will afford science with routinely efficient access to depths previously overlooked by science.

Discovery

Was it possible that in that ‘9th minute’ a major discovery could have been revealed? Quite possibly yes. As we continue to probe unexplored depths, examining the biodiversity of such ecosystems is critical. To plead a case to preserve and protect our oceans, we must first understand its truest value to humanity. With more than 97% of our ocean yet to be explored, the potential for true discovery is limitless. Our Origin Life Science Group (http://www.originbioscience.com) has set out to catalog specimens collected during our exploration projects, and has already discovered several promising leads for new anti-viral and anti-bacterial drugs.

Hope

Perhaps most importantly in our quest, is reaching out to you…those who stand to benefit most from our exploration programs, and resulting discoveries. Earning your support is essential, and perhaps more importantly, is communicating to you that there are those on the front line that are fighting the fight every single day. Our collective voice needs to be heard.

What you can do...

As you learn more about other pioneering explorations in history, and trek out in those of the future, you will undoubtedly see this relationship of science-technology-& society working synergistically, as it accounts for all of the basic needs of humanity.

Visit http://www.projectinnerspace.org to learn more about Exploration & Human Health, and how to support this growing campaign which will tie us all together with the ocean, and offer Hope to those in need.

Safe Exploring, ML

Categories: Public Health and Safety | Science | Oceanography | Health | Cancer