CHAsing CHAnces in a CHAnging Mediterranean: a new frontier in blue biotechnology

Invasive pests are having a tremendous impact on the Mediterranean biota, which is losing its distinctiveness under the pressure of biological invasions.1 Among the European seas the Mediterranean seems to be the major recipient of exotic species,2 and it is considered one of the most important hotspots of marine invasions on earth.3 Since the eradication of the marine pests is considered unrealistic in most cases, a major challenge for environmental management institutions is how to deal with highly invasive species (e.g. the green alga Caulerpa racemosa), which are altering the community structure, threatening native species, and impacting negatively tourism and fisheries. We propose an articulated research strategy that would generate new scientific knowledge to control and manage the biological invasions, exploring at the same time new trends in biotechnology for the sea-based economy of coastal communities. This strategy is based on the exploration of possible uses of valuable natural products from "invasive biomasses" in different applicative domains, such as health, food, agriculture, environment and fisheries. Such a systematic approach, that crosses the traditional boundaries between academic disciplines, should drastically reduce research costs, if compared with more traditional "monotarget" strategies focused on single applications/molecules (e.g. in drug discovery). Besides the exploration of new trends in biotechnology, this strategy should contribute to the impact reduction of the invasions by making their control profitable, thus producing socio-economic benefits. [1] Mollo E, Gavagnin M, Carbone M, Castelluccio F, Pozone F, Roussis V, Templado J, Ghiselin MT, Cimino G, PNAS, 2008, 105, 4582-4586. [2] Streftaris N, Zenetos A, Papathanassiou E, Oceanogr. Mar. Biol.: An Annual Review, 2005, 43, 419-453. [3] Rilov G, Galil B, in Biological Invasions in Marine Ecosystems, eds Rilov G, Crooks JA, 2009, Ch. 31, 549-575.