There are 37 patents, filed in Europe and the US, on derivatives of deep sea organisms. …cosmetics on sale derived from microbes that survive in extreme environments found deep below the surface of the ocean…enzymes from the same source are used in industrial processes and research…[they are] testing a bone-healing drug [and] developing artificial blood from the haemoglobin of tubeworms found around deep sea hydrothermal vents.
The abyss can help us, and there are no laws for ensuring that the 14 companies selling or developing these resources are bioprospecting responsibly. “While there are some international regulations controlling pollution, people are basically free to do as they want there.” So keep that in mind.
Apropos of my new blog banner.
ADDENDUM: This is pretty sweet: creationist owners of “Dinosaur Adventure Land” in Florida which purports that dinosaurs were around a few thousand years ago, refuse to get a building permit because it violates their deeply held religious beliefs. As a result, the court is fining them for every day it’s open without the permit. If they fail, the museum could be razed. I support that.