Oceans as Global Reservoirs: Unveiling Hidden Antibiotic Resistance Genes

The SeA Care project reveals that oceans worldwide, even remote waters, contain antibiotic resistance genes. The study highlights the oceans' role as reservoirs for pollution emanating from land and warns of potential health implications. It calls for policies to address pollution and climate change impacts.

Genes associated with antibiotic resistance are available across several ocean basins, including some remote waters, according to findings from an Italian-led research project. The SeA Care project highlights significant concentrations of these genes along busy shipping routes and in densely populated coastal areas, suggesting oceans as global pollution reservoirs.

Research indicates that these genes could spread to remote communities, with the study also detecting microplastics, PFAS 'forever chemicals', and SARS-CoV-2 genetic traces even in isolated ocean regions. Presenting these findings in Rome, ISS Director General Andrea Piccioli emphasized the importance of protecting human health by caring for our seas.

The SeA Care initiative, a collaboration of various institutions, employs naval routes and scientific networks for sample collection, promising early warnings for global health threats. Over three years, more than 4,000 samples from extensive ocean sites were collected, supporting policies against pollution and climate impacts.