Sea's bounty to science provides some of the great gifts of all

December 27, 2007 at 11:09AM AKST

In the season of gift giving, let's not overlook the gifts from the sea.

Sponge Bob SquarePants, for example, could be the next rage in fiber optics. Researchers at Bell Labs have found that a certain sponge grows a network of glass fibers far more advanced than any found in today's telecommunications networks.

Speaking of lighting up our world, the DNA from salmon sperm is fueling the world's first biological light-emitting diodes, used everywhere in electronic and digital devices. Photonics experts at the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Air Force nano-lab are able to refine DNA fibers into thin films that produce a superior light.

Some jellyfish have a special bioluminescence useful in medical research. For hundreds of years, Asian cultures have used jellyfish to treat arthritis, high blood pressure and back pain.

Shrimp-based bandages are now being used by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bandages contain chitin, a substance found in shells of crab, shrimp and other crustaceans. The compounds in chitin help blood clot and seal wounds in just 30 seconds.

Shrimp shells also are being tested in a nasal spray in England as a treatment for allergies.

Russian researchers have created a product from enzymes in king crab shells that helps heal severe burns. An extract from brown seaweed skin reduces damage from radiation exposure.

The researchers called sea urchin pigment "remarkable" for its anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Sea cucumbers provide the basis of a new immunity-enhancing drug.

The venom of the cone snail is being used in a remedy to reduce severe chronic pain that does not respond to other treatment. Just a few micrograms is said to be 1,000 times more potent than morphine. A drug made from the snail toxin was approved in the United States a few years ago.

Nearly 15 drugs derived from marine organisms are in various stages of testing for cancer treatments. The sea squirt appears to be especially promising.

And it turns out that fish oil can help reduce global warming. New Zealand researchers have found that adding fish oil to animal feed reduces the release of methane gas by 25 percent to 40 percent in sheep.

Scientists claim that more than 20 percent of global methane emissions comes from farm animals.

Oysters spread the love

For centuries, oysters have been hailed as a boost to libido, but until recently, there was no scientific evidence to back that up.

New studies reveal that ancient aphrodisiac claim has merit.

Research chemists at Miami's Barry University and at of the Laboratory of Neurobiology in Naples, Italy, have discovered that raw oysters, mussels and clams contain two unique amino acids that prompt the release of sexual hormones. Oysters also are loaded with zinc, a key nutrient for testosterone production for both men and women.

Foods high in protein and zinc have been credited with keeping men virile well into old age. The famous lover Casanova supposedly ate 50 oysters every day to keep his stamina in top form.

Bivalves aren't the only seafood libido boosters.

Three years ago the tuna industry was gleefully touting canned tuna as Viagra of the Sea. That was spawned by a book, "Temptations, Igniting the Pleasure and Power of Aphrodisiacs," that claims diet changes can "awaken a sleepy libido."

Since researchers believe omega-3 fatty acids help ward off depression, the author concludes that eating more tuna lifts your spirits, resulting in a better love life.

Speaking of fats

Human fat will fuel the fastest eco-boat on the planet when it sets off for a round-the-world race next spring.

London's Daily Mail reports that Pete Bethune, the New Zealand skipper of Earthrace, underwent liposuction and will be using his own fat to help fuel the powerboat. Liposuction is a procedure that literally vacuums out human fat from under the skin. Two others also volunteered their fat to the tanks. In all, they produced roughly 10 quarts of human fat, which converted to seven quarts of biofuel –enough to keep the Earthrace moving at 40 knots for 30 miles.

Circumnavigating the globe is the pinnacle of powerboat challenges, covering more than 25,000 nautical miles. The current record holder is the British boat Cable and Wireless Adventurer, which took 75 days in 1998. Earthrace aims to do it in 65 days.

This would mark the first international record for a powerboat fueled only by renewable fuels. The Earthrace sets off from Valencia, Spain on March 1.

Also out on the water: the BBC reports that the first fishing boat powered by vegetable oil performed "great" in government-funded test trials in the North Sea. The trawler Jubilee Quest will continue using a veggie/diesel blend that has the crew's full confidence, the skipper said, even 300 miles out at sea.

The British press has dubbed the bio-fueled vessel England's "fish and chips" boat – hailing it for bringing in the fish, then reusing the oil used to cook the nation's most popular fried dish.