Chapter 17
Future Perspectives
The aquatic ecosystem serves as host to a diverse range of organisms which produce a
diverse range of polymers. Due to the ubiquity of polymers, in the process of exploring
the different polymers in the aquatic ecosystem from raw materials, application to
final products, we have inevitable touched on different industries. These include
the polymers used in the medical field such as HIV microbicides to those used in
the energy industry in the production of the third-generation biofuels. We have also
covered the diverse chemistry of the different polymers and explored a range of
extraction processes. In the process, some current issues of the aquatic environment
are discussed, and we discuss possible solutions to addressing such. In addition to
serving as a source of biopolymers, understanding the role of the polymers within the
organisms from which they are sourced and the role in the aquatic environment has
also enhanced our understanding of certain biochemical process. For example, the
role of polymers allows organisms to survive in extreme environments and protection
against diseases.
Although the production rate of some of these biopolymers goes into thousands
of tonnes annually, this is still very low in comparison to the current production rate
of synthetic non-biodegradable plastics which are produced in hundreds of millions
of tonnes annually. Through disseminating knowledge and aiding the development
of understanding of the aquatic biopolymers, further interest will be generated in
commercial production of these biopolymers from aquatic resources, particularly
those which can be produced from waste resources or underutilized excess resources.
Extraction of biopolymers from aquatic resources should focus more on sustainable utilization of waste generated from fisheries’ industry with the goal of value
addition to fish resource and waste minimization rather than farming of aquatic
resources for the sole purpose of production of biopolymers. In other words, food
production from aquatic waste should be synergized with biopolymer production.
With valuable resources such as biopolymers being produced from aquatic resources,
the risk of over exploitation should be avoided as this then defeats the whole idea of
having a renewable source of polymers.
© Springer International Publishing 2020
O. Olatunji, Aquatic Biopolymers, Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34709-3_17
357
Future Perspectives
The aquatic ecosystem serves as host to a diverse range of organisms which produce a
diverse range of polymers. Due to the ubiquity of polymers, in the process of exploring
the different polymers in the aquatic ecosystem from raw materials, application to
final products, we have inevitable touched on different industries. These include
the polymers used in the medical field such as HIV microbicides to those used in
the energy industry in the production of the third-generation biofuels. We have also
covered the diverse chemistry of the different polymers and explored a range of
extraction processes. In the process, some current issues of the aquatic environment
are discussed, and we discuss possible solutions to addressing such. In addition to
serving as a source of biopolymers, understanding the role of the polymers within the
organisms from which they are sourced and the role in the aquatic environment has
also enhanced our understanding of certain biochemical process. For example, the
role of polymers allows organisms to survive in extreme environments and protection
against diseases.
Although the production rate of some of these biopolymers goes into thousands
of tonnes annually, this is still very low in comparison to the current production rate
of synthetic non-biodegradable plastics which are produced in hundreds of millions
of tonnes annually. Through disseminating knowledge and aiding the development
of understanding of the aquatic biopolymers, further interest will be generated in
commercial production of these biopolymers from aquatic resources, particularly
those which can be produced from waste resources or underutilized excess resources.
Extraction of biopolymers from aquatic resources should focus more on sustainable utilization of waste generated from fisheries’ industry with the goal of value
addition to fish resource and waste minimization rather than farming of aquatic
resources for the sole purpose of production of biopolymers. In other words, food
production from aquatic waste should be synergized with biopolymer production.
With valuable resources such as biopolymers being produced from aquatic resources,
the risk of over exploitation should be avoided as this then defeats the whole idea of
having a renewable source of polymers.
© Springer International Publishing 2020
O. Olatunji, Aquatic Biopolymers, Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34709-3_17
357