Studies are being undertaken to see if there are potential cancer or Psa beating compounds in Bay of Plenty waters.

University of Waikato student Nikki Webb is creating an inventory and repository of marine organisms in Tauranga Harbour.

Nikki Webb. Photo: Supplied.

She is checking organisms for potential drug and agrichemical leads.

Nikki's research is part of a bigger study by the university's chair in coastal science Professor Chris Battershill.

He is looking at the biochemical machinery of marine organisms to generate bio-medicinal and agrichemical leads.
Nikki says she's been working with the university's Environmental Research Institute to make the inventory.

'We're going to have a look at some extractions of these organisms and see if they have any bioactive properties which could then hopefully evolve to be anti-cancer drugs or Psa or other agrichemicals.”

To date, she has collected algae species, sea weed, sea sponges, sea squirts and other samples of marine life samples from Leisure Island, Waikareao Estuary and Rabbit Island.

Once the inventory is complete it will be available for educational purposes in museums around New Zealand.

As well as creating an inventory, Nikki has been looking into bio-discovery laws to see what can and cannot be taken for scientific research.

'I've found that there are no comprehensive bio-discovery laws for New Zealand to date, but the Ministry of Economic Development is working on one at the moment.

'The ministry is working with the Waitangi Tribunal and the Convention of Biological Diversity – an international cooperation which helps with bio-discovery laws around the world – and they're hoping to make an appropriate law for bio-discovery in New Zealand.”