Other Uses for Marine Invertebrates on Platforms

Coral reef habitats are protected around the world, and it is becoming more difficult to find sources of marine invertebrates for the aquarium trade. In addition, universities and the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries need supplies of marine invertebrates for a variety of uses. For example, universities use marine invertebrates for instruction and study. The pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries look at marine invertebrates such as sponges, mollusks, algae, coral, and bacteria for novel bio-active compounds. Marine algae and other organisms which occur on the platforms, represent important potential sources of agricultural chemicals, food, industrial chemical feed-stocks, pharmaceuticals agents, and other useful products.