A team of researchers, including Mark Hay, Julia Kubanek, and Terry Snell from Georgia Tech's School of Biology, have been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health for the exploration, conservation, and development of marine biodiversity in Fiji.

This project focuses on marine microbes and Fijian coral reef organisms as producers of biologically active secondary metabolites that can be developed as pharmaceuticals to address diseases of peoples of both the U.S. and developing countries, especially in the South Pacific. Additional goals are the conservation of biotic resources on coral reefs and economic development of coastal Fijian villages based on sustainable practices. The specific aims of their project are to discover small molecule drug leads from biodiverse coral reef organisms and marine microbes of Fiji, to build local institutions and attitudes to enhance the conservation of marine biodiversity, and to undertake these goals in ways that provide positive economic incentives for the owners of these marine environments.