Ideally, once the compounds are identified, they would be synthesized artificially so that the species would not be endangered by over-harvesting. This potential storehouse is one of many reasons to preserve biological diversity in the sea. We poison our environment at our own peril. The spread of DDT and PCBs throughout the globe, thousands of kilometres from the original sources, should be proof enough that what we do locally can have global consequences. Human activities are causing the loss of species at a greater rate now than during any previous mass extinction, even more than during the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Humans are the dominant animal on the planet.
Unlike previous dominant species, we have the potential intelligence and the foresight to improve our chances of survival. But we must change how we affect our environment before it is too late. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. All rights reserved.