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22 /   THE MYSTERIOUS OCEAN

































            SEA, BEAUTY AND ETHICS
            Marine biodiversity




            in the service of humans







            The Ocean and marine organisms offer an infinite range of applications

            in crucial fields such as health, food and human longevity. However, this

            growing use must be sustainable and equitable. A theme discussed at

            Monaco Ocean Week.




            UNDERSTANDING                       However this marine diversity is not well-  Another  field  of  research  is  being  exa-
                                                                                     mined: plankton, which have varieties that
                                                known and we estimate that more than
            MARINE                              80% of species have yet to be discovered.   are still far from being discovered. The
                                                                                     Kahi Kai association, which includes biolo-
            BIODIVERSITY                        98% of marine organisms live attached to   gists, oceanographers and scientists from
                                                a substrate and 30% of them are found
                                                                                     across the world, is currently developing
                                                in coral reefs. As a fixed organism cannot   a large database by photographing these
            The potential of the Ocean must be un-  flee when it is in danger, it develops toxi-  marine organisms. 100,000 images have
            derstood to be able to develop these appli-  city to defend itself against predators. This   already been uploaded, recording a thou-
            cations. For this purpose, Professor Denis   chemical diversity is, according to Denis   sand species, some of which are threate-
            Allemand, director of the Scientific Centre   Allemand, an El Dorado which could be   ned or in danger of extinction.
            of Monaco, underlined that biodiversity is   further explored. It could lead to various
            understood as a range of genes, species   applications in pharmacology, notably
            and ecosystems and their interactions.  cancer-fighting,  analgesic  or  antibacterial
                                                molecules.
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