Marine environments contain diverse biological materials that can be studied and transformed into functional material systems. Among them are naturally occurring polymers obtained from algae, shellfish-processing streams, and other marine resources. Their value does not come from marine origin alone. It comes from how their structure, physical properties, processing conditions, and formulation environment can be controlled for a particular application.
What is a biomaterial?
A biomaterial is generally understood as a natural or manufactured material developed for interaction with a biological system or for use in a biologically relevant application. Biomaterials can take many forms, including films, coatings, hydrogels, fibres, membranes, porous structures, particles, capsules, and composite materials.
Some biomaterials are derived from natural sources, while others are fully synthetic. A naturally sourced material is not automatically ready for practical use. It normally requires extraction, purification, characterization, formulation, and application-specific testing.
Marine-derived biomaterials include polysaccharides, proteins, minerals, and other compounds obtained from marine organisms. Scientific literature has investigated these materials in formats including hydrogels, thin films, membranes, fibres, coatings, scaffolds, and delivery systems.[1,2]
Examples of marine-derived polymers
Two widely studied marine-associated polymers are alginate and chitosan.
Alginate is a polysaccharide commonly obtained from brown algae. In the presence of certain ions, it can form water-rich gel networks. This behaviour has made alginate important in research involving hydrogels, encapsulation systems, controlled-release matrices, and soft biomaterial structures.[3]
Chitosan is produced through the partial deacetylation of chitin, a natural polymer found in sources that include crustacean shells and fungal cell walls. It has been investigated for its ability to form films, gels, fibres, porous structures, coatings, and composite materials.[4]
These polymers are not single, uniform materials. Molecular composition, molecular weight, purity, concentration, pH, processing history, and interactions with other formulation components can substantially change their behaviour.
Why are marine biopolymers scientifically interesting?
Depending on the material and formulation, marine biopolymers may form thin films, coatings, water-containing gels, viscosity-controlling systems, flexible networks, or structured composites. These behaviours allow researchers to examine applications across packaging, coatings, cosmetics, environmental technologies, drug-delivery research, tissue engineering, and other areas.
A potentially useful property does not establish that a material is suitable for a particular product. Suitability must be demonstrated under the specific conditions of the intended application.
What are film-forming systems?
A film-forming system begins as a liquid, dispersion, spray, or gel. As water or another carrier leaves the formulation, polymer chains move closer together and may form a continuous layer.
Researchers may evaluate drying time, uniformity, adhesion, flexibility, cracking, abrasion, transfer, water exposure, removal, and storage stability. These properties are interconnected. A formulation that dries quickly may produce a brittle film, while a film with stronger adhesion may be more difficult to remove.
Film development is therefore an optimization process rather than a search for one isolated property. Research on chitosan-based films shows that composition and processing conditions affect structural, mechanical, barrier, and functional behaviour.[5]
What are hydrogels?
A hydrogel is a three-dimensional polymer network capable of holding a substantial amount of water while maintaining a structured form. Hydrogels can range from flowing gel-like formulations to stronger crosslinked structures.
Their performance may be influenced by polymer identity and concentration, crosslinking mechanism, pH, ionic conditions, water content, temperature, added ingredients, storage conditions, and the intended environment.
Previous research involving alginate-based scaffolds illustrates how a naturally derived polymer can be processed into a structured material system. The final properties depend on formulation, manufacturing conditions, composition, and the intended application.[6,7] A material’s ability to form a gel does not, by itself, demonstrate effectiveness or safety.
From raw material to functional system
Translation begins with material characterization. Relevant characteristics may include identity, purity, molecular weight, degree of modification, moisture content, solubility, viscosity, and batch consistency.
Formulation development then examines concentration, pH, mixing procedure, compatible ingredients, application method, and drying or gelation behaviour. Performance testing measures properties relevant to the proposed use. Stability and packaging compatibility are assessed before testing becomes more representative of real conditions.
Application-specific safety, regulatory, manufacturing, quality, and user requirements must also be addressed before responsible product claims can be made.
Marine origin does not automatically mean sustainable
Marine-derived materials may support resource-efficiency opportunities, particularly when useful polymers are recovered from existing processing streams. However, a material should not be described as sustainable solely because it comes from a marine source.
A credible environmental assessment must consider raw-material origin and traceability, extraction and purification, energy and water use, transportation, manufacturing waste, yield, durability, end-of-life behaviour, and commercial-scale availability. Sustainability requires evidence across the material and product lifecycle.
Maritime Biotech’s research approach
Maritime Biotech is a Nova Scotia-based biotechnology company investigating marine-derived biopolymer systems through formulation science, analytical testing, and early-stage validation.
The company’s scientific foundation is informed by previous academic research involving alginate-based scaffolds, engineered hydrogels, biomaterial characterization, and three-dimensional material systems.[6–8] This experience reinforces a central principle: biomaterial performance depends not only on source, but also on composition, structure, processing conditions, and application-specific validation.
Our development process follows four stages: Understand, Formulate, Evaluate, and Advance. We define the problem, study the material, develop formulations, measure relevant performance, identify limitations, and advance only when the evidence supports the next stage.
Current work includes marine-derived film-forming systems and their potential use in practical protective-material applications. This work remains at the research and validation stage.
References
- Kim SK, editor. Marine Biomaterials: Characterization, Isolation and Applications. CRC Press; 2013.
- Vázquez JA, et al. Marine-origin polysaccharides and their chemically modified derivatives as sources of advanced biofunctional materials for biomedical applications. Marine Drugs. 2025;23.
- Lee KY, Mooney DJ. Alginate: properties and biomedical applications. Progress in Polymer Science. 2012;37(1):106–126.
- Yadav M, et al. Chitosan-based biomaterials: insights into chemistry, properties, devices, and their biomedical applications. Polymers. 2023;15.
- Mujtaba M, et al. Trends in chitosan as a primary biopolymer for functional films and coatings manufacture for food and natural products. Polymers. 2021;13.
- Soleimani M, Asgharzadeh Salmasi A, Asghari S, Joneidi Yekta H, et al. Optimization and fabrication of alginate scaffold for alveolar bone regeneration with sufficient drug release. International Nano Letters. 2021;11:295–305.
- Salimi K, Eghbali S, Jasemi A, Joneidi Yekta H, et al. An artificial soft tissue made of nano-alginate polymer using Bioxfab 3D bioprinter for treatment of injuries. Nano Chemical Research. 2020;5(4):321–329.
- Bayat Tork MA, Saberifar M, Joneidi Yekta H, et al. Nano-scaffold containing a functional motif of stromal cell-derived factor 1 enhances neural stem cell behavior and synaptogenesis in traumatic brain injury. Scientific Reports. 2025;15:5811.
Research note: This article is provided for general educational purposes and reflects Maritime Biotech’s research-stage perspective. It does not describe a finished product and does not constitute veterinary or medical advice. Product performance, safety, and regulatory claims require appropriate testing and authorization.