Editorial

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences Vol. 20 (2015): 7 
Accepted 19 Feb. 2015

Marine biotechnology: Emerging opportunities and future perspectives
Symposium held at Sultan Qaboos University, November 12-13th 2013.

Stephen Goddard

Stephen Goddard ( ) Sultan Qaboos University, Center of Ex-
cellence in Marine Biotechnology, Box 50, Al-Khod 123. Sultanate of 
Oman.  email: sgoddard@squ.edu.om

The rapid growth of genetic, cellular and molecu-lar technologies is enabling scientists to explore and develop marine resources for widespread 
applications in the food, medical, pharmaceutical, envi-
ronmental and energy industries. Marine biotechnology 
products and services were estimated at 2.8 billion euros 
in 2010, with a cumulative annual growth rate of 4-5% 
(Marine Board-European Science Foundation, 2010) 
The Sultanate of Oman occupies a strategic geograph-
ical position and has a coastline  in excess of 3000km, 
with the Arabian Sea located to the south and the Sea 
of Oman and Arabian Gulf to the north. These oceans 
have rich biodiversity and potential resources which 
we are only beginning to explore. Based on its marine 
resources, coupled with a rapidly-growing educational 
and research infrastructure, the Sultanate of Oman is 
well positioned to take advantage of the commercial op-
portunities presented by marine biotechnology.

In recognition of potential development an interna-
tional symposium was organized by the Center of Ex-
cellence in Marine Biotechnology, Sultan Qaboos Uni-
versity. One hundred and forty eight delegates attended  
the meeting, representing 15 countries. In planning the 
symposium three major themes were identified viz. Ma-
rine Biofouling and its Prevention, Fisheries and Aqua-

culture Biotechnology and Marine Biodiversity and 
Natural Products. The topics were selected on the basis 
of current and planned research activity in Oman and 
elsewhere in the GCC region. Three keynote addresses 
were presented, 23 oral presentations made and a post-
er exhibition held. A final session reviewed national and 
regional issues and the delegates agreed formally on a 
number of future actions. Full details of the symposium 
and the results and analysis of a post-symposium survey 
on the future development of marine biotechnology are 
given in Goddard et al. (2015).

The symposium was supported logistically and fi-
nancially by Sultan Qaboos University, The Research 
Council, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 
Wealth, Oman. 

References
Goddard, S., M. Delghandi, S. Dobretsov, H. Al-Oufi,  S. 

Al-Habsi, and J.G. Burgess  2015. The first GCC Ma-
rine Biotechnology Symposium: Emerging Opportu-
nities and Future Perspectives. Marine Biotechnolo-
gy 17: 285-289.

Marine Board-European Science Foundation, 2010. Ma-
rine Biotechnology: a new vision and Strategy for Eu-
rope. Position paper 15.

التكنولوجيا احليوية البحرية: الفرص الناشئة واآلفاق املستقبلية
ستيفن جودارد