BIOACTIVITY OF MARINE ORGANISMS: RELATIONSHIPS WITH TAXONOMY, GEOGRAPHY AND DEPTH.

Authors

John K. Reed, Florida Atlantic University
Susan H. Sennett, Florida Atlantic University
Peter J. McCarthy, Florida Atlantic University
Tara P. Pitts, Florida Atlantic University
Amy E. Wright, Florida Atlantic University
Shirley A. Pomponi, Florida Atlantic University

Author Type

Faculty

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI) has a worldwide collection of over 25,000 marine macro-invertebrates and algae representing diverse geographical, latitudinal, and depth (0-3000 ft) ranges. Samples are tested for biological activity in a panel of whole cell and enzyme/receptor assays, including antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxicity, antitumor, and immunomodulatory assays. Of the taxa sampled, Porifera have the greatest incidence of activity within these screens and especially within the antimicrobial assays. Cnidaria, Chordata (Ascidiacea), Phaeophyta, and Chlorophyta also show strong antimicrobial activity. A comparison of bioactivity and depth of collection indicates that benthic organisms are active throughout the depth range of this study. Antifungal activity is greatest for high latitude samples then decreases at the lower latitudes, whereas antibacterial activity decreases markedly above 30°N latitude. Strong site-specific trends also exist regardless of latitude or temperature. For example, samples from both the Bahamas and Seychelles show very strong activities for all assays whereas samples from various other tropical, warm water sites such as the Virgin Islands, Senegal, Colombia, Venezuela, and Sierra Leone are inactive in the enzyme assays. Data are used to target potential taxonomic and geographic sources of natural products for drug discovery to treat human diseases or as biomedical research tools.

Publication Date

1998

Comments

Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution 1258.

Recommended Citation

This manuscript is an author version with the final publication available and may be cited as: Reed, J. K., Sennett, S. H., McCarthy, P. J., Pitts, T. P., Wright, A. E., & Pomponi, S. A. (1998). Bioactivity of marine organisms: relationships with taxonomy, geography and depth. In B. Hartwick, E. Banister, & G. Morariu (Eds.), Diving for science 1998: proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences eighteenth annual Scientific Diving Symposium, in association with Canadian Association for Underwater Science, annual meeting, October 8-11, 1998, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (pp. 50-61). Nahant, MA: American Academy of Underwater Sciences.