(Describer) Under a round logo of a wave, title: Ocean Today.
(female narrator)
When you've got
a bacterial infection
like pink eye
or strep throat,
your doctor
will prescribe antibiotics
to make you feel better.
But do you wonder where
these medicines come from?
Most drugs come from flowers
and plants on land.
But finding new sources
is difficult.
Some bacteria have become
resistant to some drugs--
so much, in fact,
that these drugs
don't work anymore.
(Describer) Underwater, fish swim over coral.
The ocean,
with its amazing biodiversity,
offers many more organisms
for scientists to discover
and develop new medicines.
(Describer) In a lab, ocean sponges sit in a tank.
NOAA scientists
have been collecting
and studying sponges,
corals,
and other marine organisms.
They and their partners
discovered a chemical
that breaks down the shield
that bacteria use
to protect themselves
from antibiotics.
Used as a helper drug,
antibiotics that
are no longer effective
would once again be able to
fight off resistant bacteria.
NOAA's scientists
have also extracted chemicals
from corals and sponges
that fight some of the worst
infectious bacteria.
In order to make
these new antibiotics,
scientists make copies
of these chemicals
in a laboratory.
This way,
they won't have
to constantly harvest corals
from the ocean,
leaving our marine ecosystems
healthy and intact.
The ocean may hold the key
for finding new medicines
but not if we don't keep it
and its inhabitants
healthy and pollution-free.
Do your part
to protect coral reefs.
Do not buy coral jewelry
or home decor,
and when snorkeling,
fishing, or SCUBA diving,
be careful to not touch
or disrupt coral beds
or the seafloor.
The next cure
could be hidden there.
(Describer) Capsules roll on a white surface.
Titles: Ocean Today has been brought to you by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.
Accessibility provided by the
U.S. Department of Education.
