Marine chemical ecology
Chemical substances play an important role in the interaction between all living organisms and their environment. The research that considers the impact of naturally occurring substances in the interaction between organisms is called chemical ecology. Research in chemical ecology in marine environments is still in the beginning of its exploitation and it is reasonable to assume that it has a great potential. Settlement of larvae of other benthic organisms may threaten the survival of individuals of benthic invertebrates. Therefore, benthic invertebrates have developed various defense systems against biofouling in the course of evolution, among which chemical defense is prominent. On the other hand, benthic organisms often cause economic problems by settling on ships’ hulls, cooling systems of power stations, aquaculture cages, and other submersible structures. Organotin compounds including tributyltin (TBT) and tributyltin oxide (TBTO) were widely used for controlling these sessile organisms until recently, when they were found to be toxic to many marine organisms. Therefore, “environmentally friendly” antifoulants need to be developed urgently. We are trying to study the nontoxic antifouling targeted chemical defence substances from marine invertebrates (eg. sponges).
Investigations carried out at the Lab are invoved in isolating and identifying the chemical defence substances guided by antifouling activities, studying the structural modifications and structure-activity relationships.
