technology

Deep-sea eDNA sampling

Environmental DNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing from deep-ocean water and sediment, letting expeditions catalogue high-seas biodiversity and discover novel genes without collecting every organism physically.

Where it's used

Marine genomic prospecting & the BBNJ treaty
The UN High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) entered into force in January 2026, creating the first legal regime for accessing and sharing benefits from marine genetic resources collected outside any nation's waters — turning deep-sea genomic prospecting from an unregulated commons into a treaty-governed pipeline running from Ocean Genome Legacy's biobank to PharmaMar's marine-derived oncology drugs.
marine-biotech 8 min