Busselton's sea sponges may help in cancer fight

New marine research trials on sponges with anti cancer compounds found under the Busselton Jetty are the focus of a Fundraising Golf Day coming up on September 13.

The Busselton Jetty Environment Foundation (BJEF) will host its inaugural 18 hole Ambrose event at the Busselton Golf Club to raise funds for a University of WA Marine Pharmacology project.

Jetty Patron and former WA Chief Scientist Professor Lyn Beazley told attendees at the recent launch of the new Marine Discovery Centre that sponges have unique fighting properties.

She said this repelling behaviour was one of the reasons UWA had seen great results generating extracts and fractionations to test for biological activity with sponges such as Phorbas, that live on hundreds of pylons beneath the Jetty.

Jetty CEO Lisa Shreeve said the fundraising day aimed to raise $20,000 for the trials.

“The BJEF already achieves a lot for the environment including rescuing and releasing entangled seabirds, running School Incursion, Excursion and Virtual Tours, underwater and above Water Beach Clean Ups, our United Nations Award winning Pile Rehabilitation program, carrying out fish species data research for Universities and other work,” she said.

“But this is the most exciting.

“We hope this is just the start of more research with UWA into the marine life already living under the Jetty that we know has anti-cancer compounds, but also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, for a host of potential marine pharmaceuticals.”

The Golf Day is open to the general public with a $43,000 Quintrex boat from Muir Nissan secured for the Hole in One prize.

Other prizes include $2500 worth of travel vouchers, $2000 in accommodation vouchers, $1000 worth of wine, $1000 in restaurant vouchers, as well as jewellery vouchers, a framed and signed Greg Norman shirt, a signed Karrie Webb tshirt and Josh Kennedy shirt, winning hole prizes and auction items.

To register a team of 4 for sign up as an individual to play visit www.busseltonjetty.com.au