Bioprospecting of Genetic Resources in the Deep Seabed: Scientific, Legal and Policy Aspects
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Ocean Explorers
Ocean Explorers What are Currents? We are bringing the beach to you! Grab your essential oils, turn on some ocean sounds, get your yoga mat and join us to make waves as we learn about ocean currents through a few simple experiments. Ocean Movement Although our planet is called “Earth” it might be better described as “ocean” as over 70 percent of the planet’s surface is covered with water! Ocean water is always on the move in the form of currents. A current is the continuous movement of ocean water caused by several factors including wind, temperature and salinity differences; the Earth’s rotation; and the impact of the moon’s gravity (tides). In these activities we are going to focus on salinity and temperature. Salinity Have you ever tasted sea water? It’s salty, right? The amount of salt in the ocean varies but overall, it is about 3.5 percent salt. This means for every 1 liter (1,000 milliliters) of seawater, there are 35 grams of salt. That may not seem like a lot but it makes a significant difference in how currents flow across the ocean. Adding salt to water changes its density. Density is defined as mass per unit volume. The more mass something has in the same volume (space), the denser it is. Salt adds mass to water. What do you think would happen if you mix salty water and fresh (no salt) water? Check out our Science Short video to find the answer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5thFonbdSk&t=11s. Was your prediction correct? Salt water is denser, and it sinks under the less-dense fresh water. -
Turning the Tide on Trash: Great Lakes
Turning the Tide On Trash A LEARNING GUIDE ON MARINE DEBRIS Turning the Tide On Trash A LEARNING GUIDE ON MARINE DEBRIS Floating marine debris in Hawaii NOAA PIFSC CRED Educators, parents, students, and Unfortunately, the ocean is currently researchers can use Turning the Tide under considerable pressure. The on Trash as they explore the serious seeming vastness of the ocean has impacts that marine debris can have on prompted people to overestimate its wildlife, the environment, our well being, ability to safely absorb our wastes. For and our economy. too long, we have used these waters as a receptacle for our trash and other Covering nearly three-quarters of the wastes. Integrating the following lessons Earth, the ocean is an extraordinary and background chapters into your resource. The ocean supports fishing curriculum can help to teach students industries and coastal economies, that they can be an important part of the provides recreational opportunities, solution. Many of the lessons can also and serves as a nurturing home for a be modified for science fair projects and multitude of marine plants and wildlife. other learning extensions. C ON T EN T S 1 Acknowledgments & History of Turning the Tide on Trash 2 For Educators and Parents: How to Use This Learning Guide UNIT ONE 5 The Definition, Characteristics, and Sources of Marine Debris 17 Lesson One: Coming to Terms with Marine Debris 20 Lesson Two: Trash Traits 23 Lesson Three: A Degrading Experience 30 Lesson Four: Marine Debris – Data Mining 34 Lesson Five: Waste Inventory 38 Lesson -
The Realized Benefits from Bioprospecting in the Wake of the Convention on Biological Diversity
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Washington University St. Louis: Open Scholarship Washington University Journal of Law & Policy Volume 47 Intellectual Property: From Biodiversity to Technical Standards 2015 The Realized Benefits from Bioprospecting in the Wake of the Convention on Biological Diversity James S. Miller Missouri Botanical Garden Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_journal_law_policy Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Environmental Law Commons, and the Plant Sciences Commons Recommended Citation James S. Miller, The Realized Benefits from Bioprospecting in the Wake of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 47 WASH. U. J. L. & POL’Y 051 (2015), https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_journal_law_policy/vol47/iss1/10 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington University Journal of Law & Policy by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Realized Benefits from Bioprospecting in the Wake of the Convention on Biological Diversity James S. Miller MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN In the mid-1980s, the convergence of several technological advances led to a serious resurgence of interest in surveying plant species for drug development. The emergence of methods to miniaturize in-vitro bioassays (a test used to quantify the biological effect of a chemical compound or extract against a specific disease target) run the bioassays with robotic equipment, and isolate and identify active compounds with a speed and precision never before possible. -
Methanospirillum Hungatei GP1 As an S Layer MAX FIRTEL,1 GORDON SOUTHAM,1 GEORGE HARAUZ,2 and TERRY J
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, Dec. 1993, p. 7550-7560 Vol. 175, No. 23 0021-9193/93/237550-11$02.00/0 Copyright © 1993, American Society for Microbiology Characterization of the Cell Wall of the Sheathed Methanogen Methanospirillum hungatei GP1 as an S Layer MAX FIRTEL,1 GORDON SOUTHAM,1 GEORGE HARAUZ,2 AND TERRY J. BEVERIDGE'* Department ofMicrobiology' and Department ofMolecular Biology and Genetics, 2 College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Received 16 June 1993/Accepted 27 September 1993 The cell wall of MethanospiriUum hungatei GP1 is a labile structure that has been difficult to isolate and Downloaded from characterize because the cells which it encases are contained within a sheath. Cell-sized fragments, 560 nm wide by several micrometers long, of cell wall were extracted by a novel method involving the gradual drying of the filaments in 2% (wtlvol) sodium dodecyl sulfate and 10%0 (wt/vol) sucrose in 50 mM N-2-hydroxyeth- ylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer containing 10 mM EDTA. The surface was a hexagonal array (a = b = 15.1 nm) possessing a helical superstructure with a ca. 2.50 pitch angle. In shadowed relief, the smooth outer face was punctuated with deep pits, whereas the inner face was relatively featureless. Computer-based two-dimensional reconstructed views of the negatively stained layer demonstrated 4.0- and 2.0-nm-wide electron-dense regions on opposite sides of the layer likely corresponding to the openings of funnel-shaped channels. The face featuring the larger openings best corresponds to the outer face of the layer. -
Developing Bioprospecting Strategies for Bioplastics Through the Large-Scale Mining of Microbial Genomes
fmicb-12-697309 July 6, 2021 Time: 18:39 # 1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 12 July 2021 doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.697309 Developing Bioprospecting Strategies for Bioplastics Through the Large-Scale Mining of Microbial Genomes Paton Vuong1, Daniel J. Lim2, Daniel V. Murphy1, Michael J. Wise3,4, Andrew S. Whiteley5 and Parwinder Kaur1* 1 UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia, 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia, 3 School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia, 4 Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia, 5 Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, CSIRO, Floreat, WA, Australia The accumulation of petroleum-based plastic waste has become a major issue for the environment. A sustainable and biodegradable solution can be found in Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a microbially produced biopolymer. An analysis of the global phylogenetic and ecological distribution of potential PHA producing bacteria and Edited by: archaea was carried out by mining a global genome repository for PHA synthase (PhaC), Obulisamy Parthiba Karthikeyan, University of Houston, United States a key enzyme involved in PHA biosynthesis. Bacteria from the phylum Actinobacteria Reviewed by: were found to contain the PhaC Class II genotype which produces medium-chain Rajesh K. Sani, length PHAs, a physiology until now only found within a few Pseudomonas species. South Dakota School of Mines Further, several PhaC genotypes were discovered within Thaumarchaeota, an archaeal and Technology, United States Vijay Kumar, phylum with poly-extremophiles and the ability to efficiently use CO2 as a carbon Institute of Himalayan Bioresource source, a significant ecological group which have thus far been little studied for PHA Technology (CSIR), India production. -
Understanding Bioprospecting: Can Indigenous Populations Benefit from the Search for Pharmaceuticals in Areas of High Biodiversity
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses Environmental Studies Program Spring 5-2011 Understanding Bioprospecting: Can Indigenous Populations Benefit from the Search for Pharmaceuticals in Areas of High Biodiversity Emily Schwindt University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses Part of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Natural Resource Economics Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Other Environmental Sciences Commons, Place and Environment Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Disclaimer: The following thesis was produced in the Environmental Studies Program as a student senior capstone project. Schwindt, Emily, "Understanding Bioprospecting: Can Indigenous Populations Benefit from the Search for Pharmaceuticals in Areas of High Biodiversity" (2011). Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses. 46. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses/46 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies Program at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. UNDERSTANDING BIOPROSPECTING: -
Crop Genetic Resources Bulletin Number 2 an Economic Appraisal May 2005 Kelly Day Rubenstein, Paul Heisey, Robbin Shoemaker, John Sullivan, and George Frisvold
A Report from the Economic Research Service United States Department www.ers.usda.gov of Agriculture Economic Information Crop Genetic Resources Bulletin Number 2 An Economic Appraisal May 2005 Kelly Day Rubenstein, Paul Heisey, Robbin Shoemaker, John Sullivan, and George Frisvold Abstract: Crop genetic resources are the basis of agricultural production, and significant economic benefits have resulted from their conservation and use. However, crop genetic resources are largely public goods, so private incentives for genetic resource conservation may fall short of achieving public objectives. Within the U.S. germplasm system, certain crop collec- tions lack sufficient diversity to reduce vulnerability to pests and diseases. Many such genetic resources lie outside the United States. This report examines the role of genetic resources, genetic diversity, and efforts to value genetic resources. The report also evaluates economic and institutional fac- tors influencing the flow of genetic resources, including international agree- ments, and their significance for agricultural research and development in the United States. Keywords: Genetic resources, genetic diversity, germplasm, R&D, interna- tional transfer of genetic resources, in situ conservation, ex situ conserva- tion, gene banks, intellectual property. Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank Allan Stoner, Henry Shands, and Peter Bretting for their thoughtful reviews and their valuable comments. Thanks for reviews above and beyond the call of duty belong to June Blalock, whose patience and insight were critical to the production of this report. We also thank Joe Cooper who reviewed portions of the manuscripts. Keith Wiebe provided helpful guidance in the development of the final draft. We thank Dale Simms for his excellent editorial work and Susan DeGeorge for her help with graphics and layout. -
Sylvia Earle Background Information
Sylvia Earle Background Information Birth and Childhood Home She was born in Gibbs town, NJ on August 30, 1935. Her early childhood years were on a farm where there were many woods to explore. One of her favorite places was a pond. Her parent, particularly her mother was very influential in teaching her respect for animals. She always emphasized putting animals back where they were found after observing them. Sylvia took notes as a young child on the things that she observed. They also taught her not to fear the unknown. Horseshoe Crab Story Sylvia as a little girl at the beach was curious about the horseshoe crabs and how they moved. She was also concerned that they were stranded on the beach. She tried to pick them up, turn them around and sent them back to the ocean, not realizing that they were coming up on shore to lay their eggs and that she was really interfering with their mating. (see additional notes on horseshoe crabs) Reading As a child she liked to read. She liked science fiction, fairy tales, and animal stories. As she got a little older, she found that she liked non-fiction books even better. One of her favorite books was by William Beebe name Half Mile Down. He wrote about going down in the ocean in a vehicle like a submarine. In her book Sea Change and some of her other writings and interviews she refers to it frequently. After reading that book she started reading more non-fiction books and began liking the encyclopedia. -
Marine Snow Storms: Assessing the Environmental Risks of Ocean Fertilization
University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Law - Papers (Archive) Faculty of Business and Law 1-1-2009 Marine snow storms: Assessing the environmental risks of ocean fertilization Robin M. Warner University of Wollongong, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/lawpapers Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Warner, Robin M.: Marine snow storms: Assessing the environmental risks of ocean fertilization 2009, 426-436. https://ro.uow.edu.au/lawpapers/192 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Marine snow storms: Assessing the environmental risks of ocean fertilization Abstract The threats posed by climate change to the global environment have fostered heightened scientific interest in marine geo-engineering schemes designed to boost the capacity of the oceans to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. This is the primary goal of a process known as ocean fertilization which seeks to increase the production of organic material in the surface ocean in order to promote further draw down of photosynthesized carbon to the deep ocean. This article describes the process of ocean fertilization, its objectives and potential impacts on the marine environment and some examples of ocean fertilization experiments. It analyses the applicability of international law principles on marine environmental protection to this process and the regulatory gaps and ambiguities in the existing international law framework for such activities. Finally it examines the emerging regulatory for legitimate scientific experiments involving ocean fertilization being developed by the London Convention and London Protocol Scientific Groups and its potential implications for the proponents of ocean fertilization trials. -
Small Blue World Little People. Big Adventures Jason Isley
M I C H A E L O ’ M A R A T I T L E I N F O R M A T I O N M I C H A E L O ' M A R A Small Blue World Little People. Big Adventures Jason Isley Keynote Small Blue World is a clever and thought-provoking collection of impressive imagery that tackles some of the wider ecological issues facing our oceans. Publication date Thursday, April 28, Description 2016 A stunning and quirky collection of underwater photography, with miniature Price £12.99 figures posing in an inventive aquatic world. ISBN-13 9781782435655 Created by world-renowned underwater photographers, this gorgeous book takes an Binding Hardback alternative look at mankind’s journey by using models of miniature people placed in Format Other beautiful and humorous situations undersea. Depth 15mm Extent 112 pages Providing an alternative perspective on life, Small Blue World is a clever and thought- Word Count provoking collection of impressive imagery that tackles some of the wider ecological Illustrations 78 full-colour issues facing our oceans. Ultimately, it poses the question: how can humans and nature photographs exist in harmony? Territorial Rights World In-House Editor Jo Stansall Playful, perceptive and visually striking, this impressive and often humorous book uses photography and the power of the imagination to entertain, inspire and offer a different outlook on our lives. Sales Points An incredible book featuring full-colour photographs of miniature figures living an underwater life in the future Follow these little people on their big adventures in a beautifully-captured -
Marine Pollution: a Critique of Present and Proposed International Agreements and Institutions--A Suggested Global Oceans' Environmental Regime Lawrence R
Hastings Law Journal Volume 24 | Issue 1 Article 5 1-1972 Marine Pollution: A Critique of Present and Proposed International Agreements and Institutions--A Suggested Global Oceans' Environmental Regime Lawrence R. Lanctot Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_law_journal Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Lawrence R. Lanctot, Marine Pollution: A Critique of Present and Proposed International Agreements and Institutions--A Suggested Global Oceans' Environmental Regime, 24 Hastings L.J. 67 (1972). Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_law_journal/vol24/iss1/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings Law Journal by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. Marine Pollution: A Critique of Present and Proposed International Agreements and Institutions-A Suggested Global Oceans' Environmental Regime By LAWRENCE R. LANCTOT* THE oceans are earth's last significant frontier for man's utiliza- tion. Advances in marine technology are opening previously unreach- able depths to permit the study of the oceans' mysteries and the extrac- tion of valuable natural resources.' Because these vast resources were inaccessible in the past, international law does not provide any certain rules governing the ownership and development of marine resources which lie beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.2 In response to this legal uncertainty and in the face of accelerating technology, the United Nations General Assembly has called a General Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1973 to formulate international conventions gov- erning the development of the seabed and ocean floor., Great interest * J.D., University of San Francisco, 1968; LL.M., Columbia University, 1969; Adjunct Professor of Law, University of San Francisco. -
Toxic Tide: the Threat of Marine Plastic Pollution in Australia
The Senate Environment and Communications References Committee Toxic tide: the threat of marine plastic pollution in Australia April 2016 © Commonwealth of Australia 2016 ISBN 978-1-76010-400-9 Committee contact details PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: 02 6277 3526 Fax: 02 6277 5818 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.aph.gov.au/senate_ec This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License. The details of this licence are available on the Creative Commons website: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/. This document was printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra Committee membership Committee members Senator Anne Urquhart, Chair ALP, TAS Senator Linda Reynolds CSC, Deputy Chair (from 12 October 2015) LP, WA Senator Anne McEwen (from 18 April 2016) ALP, WA Senator Chris Back (from 12 October 2015) LP, WA Senator the Hon Lisa Singh ALP, TAS Senator Larissa Waters AG, QLD Substitute member for this inquiry Senator Peter Whish-Wilson (AG, TAS) for Senator Larissa Waters (AG, QLD) Former members Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Deputy Chair (to 12 October 2015) LP, SA Senator the Hon James McGrath (to 12 October 2015) LP, QLD Senator Joe Bullock (to 13 April 2016) ALP, WA Committee secretariat Ms Christine McDonald, Committee Secretary Mr Colby Hannan, Principal Research Officer Ms Fattimah Imtoual, Senior Research Officer Ms Kirsty Cattanach, Research Officer iii iv Table of Contents List of recommendations ..................................................................................vii List of abbreviations ....................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 Conduct of the inquiry ............................................................................................ 1 Acknowledgement .................................................................................................