Saving the pharmacy of the sea: How does global change affect species with bioactive potential in the Mediterranean?

Authors

  • Arnau Carreño University of Girona (Spain).
  • Àngel Izquierdo-Font University of Girona (Spain).
  • Josep Lloret University of Girona (Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.11.17002

Keywords:

global change, oceans, biodiversity, health, bioactive compounds

Abstract

Several marine species in the Mediterranean produce molecules with bioactive potential that could be used to develop new drugs (antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and antitumourals). Different human activities such as pollution, marine recreation, and fishing, as well as climate change, threaten and even endanger some of these species. These vulnerable species with bioactive potential must be protected, especially in marine reserves, not only because they are valuable components of marine ecosystems, but also because they are a potential source of molecules with pharmacological properties that are currently being researched for the creation of new drugs.

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Author Biographies

Arnau Carreño, University of Girona (Spain).

Doctorate student in the Research Group on Sea Ecosystems and Human Health and Oceans and Human Health Chair ( www.oceanshealth.udg.edu ) at the University of Girona (Spain), funded within the framework of a collaboration grant with the Tossa de Mar Town Council. He is a graduate in biotechnology with a master’s degree in biomedicine. He is currently researching the importance of marine ecosystems in human health, within the field of «oceans and human health». 

Àngel Izquierdo-Font, University of Girona (Spain).

Specialist in medical oncology and cancer epidemiology. He works in the Oncology Service in the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) at the Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital in Girona (Spain), and is the coordinator of the Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit in Girona. He collaborates with and advises the Oceans and Human Health Chair at the University of Girona.

Josep Lloret, University of Girona (Spain).

Director of the Research Group on Sea Ecosystems and Human Health (SeaHealth) and of the Oceans and Human Health Chair ( www.oceanshealth.udg.edu ) at the University of Girona (Spain). He investigates the importance of marine ecosystems to human health, examining how the preservation of fish stocks can contribute to a healthy diet, the importance of sustainable recreational activities at sea as a source of well-being, and the conservation of vulnerable marine species with bioactive potential. He has published more than seventy papers in high-impact journals.  

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Published

2021-01-21

How to Cite

Carreño, A., Izquierdo-Font, Àngel, & Lloret, J. (2021). Saving the pharmacy of the sea: How does global change affect species with bioactive potential in the Mediterranean?. Metode Science Studies Journal, (11), 209–217. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.11.17002
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Science's structures (2021)

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Oceans. The impact of global change on the sea

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