Ocean Blog

It's Friday, so let’s start with some good news. Researchers from the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy recently discovered a compound they dubbed “largazole,” produced by microscopic cyanobacteria, that inhibits cancer cell growth.

Although many common medications are derived from compounds found in nature (penicillin immediately comes to mind), few efforts have focused on discovering such products in marine environments. Hendrik Luesch, the study’s principal investigator, says that “The opportunities for marine drug discovery are spectacular.”

Wow! Oceana's all over the newspapers today on the US Ocean Commission Report! Not just quantity, but quality. Check out Oceana in the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle and the Boston Globe.