"Treasures from the Sea for Medicine," Albert C. Smith, First Books Library, ISBN: 1-58721-182-3

USGS

Certain types of sea squirts (Tunicates) can cure themselves of human-like diseases such as congestive heart failure and kidney stones, leading at least one researcher to believes that the creatures might hold clues to treatment or cures for human medicine.

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Medical Treasures from the Sea

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

As scientists continue to learn more about the human body and disease through gene mapping and other inside-the-body technology, others are seeking disease and cure knowledge from the outside. Or in one case, from sea creatures. Al Smith is a Florida researcher who's both a marine biologist and a medical doctor...

"I'm lucky and fortunate really in that I've been able to get an education that's very complete in both marine biology and medicine. Not too many people have had that opportunity."

From that dual perspective comes a different way of looking at marine life...

"I'm able to see connections that I think are really major and potentially very beneficial to people."

A key difference from marine biology is the medical field's interest in disease...

"The marine biologist often will look at an animal and see a situation as an adaptation, whereas the medical scientist would say, 'Aha, this is more of a model of human disease.'"

With that model comes the potential for new treatments and cures...

"Really the bottom line here is having an education or having knowledge... and having a perspective that combines the two fields for the benefit of clinical medicine for application."

For more information, visit floridaenvironment.com. With help from its Environmental Studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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Medicines and treatments from the sea

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

A Florida researcher is advocating a better bridge between marine biologists and medical doctors in an effort to learn what secrets of the sea might apply to human medical conditions. Al Smith is both a marine biologist and a medical doctor, and says the sea has already served medicine well...

"Probably the best known marine derived product of course is Cod Liver Oil."

And while Cod Liver Oil might not compare with some of today's high-tech medicines, even some of those have come from the sea...

"There's an anti-cancer substance called ARA-C, which is still used today. The substance itself is modeled after a natural substance from sponges."

Other medical secrets from the sea involve learning from sea creatures...

"There's a fish called the Icefish that lives in the Antarctic. It has no hemoglobin, it has no red cells. And I think the marine biologist would probably say, 'This is an adaptation to the environment," which it probably is. The medical person would come along and say, "Aha, this animal is a model of anemia. This animal is totally anemic.'"

From discoveries like that come medical questions...

"How does this fish do it? How does he get along? Is there something going on there that we can use for people who have anemia problems?"

For more information, visit floridaenvironment.com. With help from its Environmental Studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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Learning medicine with a sea squirt

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

When Florida researcher Al Smith talks about finding medical treasures from the sea, he's qualified for comment. has the unusual credit of terminal degrees in both Marine Biology and Medicine. And as an example of what that perspective offers, he talks about tunicates -- better known as sea squirts...

"There's a marine creature, very common in Florida especially in the bays, called a Tunicate. This animal develops congestive heart failure. But for this animal, it is a 'normal' condition. It develops congestive heart failure and cures itself."

In addition to curing itself of congestive heart failure, the sea squirt also takes care of its own problem with kidney stones...

"Nature gave the Tunicate a better way of dealing with it. It dissolves the stone. But not only dissolves it, but recycles actually the chemical structure, the ingredients of the stone into the animal. And it would be nice if we could get our hands on that."

From these conditions, Smith says, medical doctors could learn a great deal...

"A cardiologist, I'm sure, would be fascinated to look at that Tunicate and see if we can apply its mechanism or mechanisms to similar problems in people."

For more information, visit floridaenvironment.com. With help from its Environmental Studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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A new reality for Marine Biology

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

Florida researcher Al Smith has long been an advocate of medical doctors doing research in marine biology. As both a marine biologist and a medical doctor, Smith says there is much for physicians to learn from sea organisms. But with new environmental stresses being placed on sea creatures, Smith says biologists could also benefit by learning more about disease...

"The marine scientists, as you know, are coming more and more in contact with disease problems: coral diseases and sea urchin dieoffs. But in their education, pathology is usually not considered or it's considered minimally. And by coming into contact or working with medical people, they would pick up the pathology."

That sharing of knowledge and research between the professions could bring a new perspective...

"It gives you an insight into processes that are operational in us that maybe are not so obvious because of our complex evolutionary mammalian overlay."

That is to say, many sea organisms are easier to understand and learn from...

"The lower animals often have the same systems or better systems and they're a little easier to focus on because they're not as complex in some cases."

For more information, visit floridaenvironment.com. With help from its Environmental Studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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Doctors of the sea

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

For all the marine biology being studied in Florida, at least one Florida researcher says there's need for more of a different kind. Al Smith is both a marine biologist and a medical doctor, and he says there's much that physicians could be learning about the human condition by studying marine organisms...

"There needs to be a place where the two fields can come together. And I would say particularly where the physician can learn about the marine animal as related to their specialty. Like the cardiologist would be interested in looking further at the heart of the fish that has reversible coronary artery disease."

Smith hopes to someday see a facility that combines the disciplines...

"What I would like to see is a center -- an actual center or institute -- where the physicians that have a research interest can explore the opportunities that marine life provide. And where the marine biologist can come and work as well and learn the pathology."

More important than the facility, though, is the kind of thinking it would produce...

"We could turn out graduate students who are doubly trained. When they get through with the program, they would think of the two fields as a single field."

For more information, visit floridaenvironment.com. With help from its Environmental Studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.