AI Pharmaceutical Discovery and Indigenous Knowledge

On January 17, 2026, the UN High Seas Treaty is expected to come into force, recognising the knowledge of all First Nation Peoples, including the Nepuyo, Yao, Suppoya, Kalipuna, and Warao of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the first time that Indigenous Knowledge of marine environments is being formally recognised in the governance of international waters.

The treaty provides a toolkit for countries to establish marine protected areas, which are crucial to achieving the goal of safeguarding thirty per cent of the ocean by 2030. The aim is to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

It establishes legally binding rules for the sustainable use of marine biodiversity, the equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources, the establishment of protected areas, and the enhancement of scientific cooperation. While direct evidence of specific Carib and Arawak knowledge of marine biodiversity is limited, these indigenous groups likely possessed an extensive, practical understanding of marine resources, focusing on species for medicinal purposes, which is only partially captured in imperfect written records.

The traditions of the peoples of Chichen Itza and Chacachacare demonstrate a profound understanding of coral reef ecosystems and the utilisation of marine species for medicinal purposes, which remains a vital aspect of the region’s relationship with the American Mediterranean. The development of a marine-derived drug for anti-cancer therapeutics has evolved through the discovery of cytarabine in the early 1950s, which was found within Cryptotethya Crypta, a species of sponge.

While well-established and adequately enforced protected areas increase the likelihood of preserving species and habitats, traditional placement methods are frequently inadequate in protecting biodiversity that is most at risk. Significant data gaps, such as population sizes, life history characteristics, and the extent of habitats, prevent the complete application of the key biodiversity areas criteria to data-poor marine species.

Oral traditions suggest a connection between marine resources and health, with plants and animals used in traditional medicine, as seen in the use of filtering molluscs as bio-indicators for contamination. Written records of indigenous knowledge are often from colonial perspectives, which may not fully represent or respect the depth of Indigenous Knowledge of complex coral reef ecosystems and the importance of seagrass beds.

Modern documentation usually focuses on species lists and mapping, which do not always capture the practical knowledge of how communities interact with and depend on marine biodiversity. Preserving this knowledge, even in its fragmentary form, helps to connect the Caribbean marine environment with the objectives of the UN High Seas Treaty. The First Nation Peoples used sea moss as a nutrient-rich healing elixir to address various ailments, particularly for its purported benefits in alleviating respiratory and digestive issues. They recognised sea moss as a powerful source of vitamins and minerals, and had an understanding of its nutrient-dense profile and healing properties.

Regional scholars in virology, with expertise in utilising natural protein peptides to prevent viral infections, can begin to explore how to leverage Artificial Intelligence to establish a Caribbean Sea natural products platform.  In the West Indies, we need to curate indigenous knowledge about marine organisms, including their taxonomy and locations.

We need talented chemists to identify compounds and to detect false positives and false negatives in our bioassays, which determine the potency or effect of a substance by its impact on living cells or tissues. In the American Mediterranean, countless edible seaweed species grow naturally. In the Caribbean Sea, about ten species are harvested for food. Two species in particular, Gracilaria and Eucheuma, make up the majority of sea moss. Despite the abundance of sea moss, the most prized variety in the Caribbean grows along the north-eastern coastal townships of Toco, Matelot, and Blanchisseuse.

Among the black rocks, under sweltering sun, strong Atlantic Ocean breeze, and punishing waves, a unique species of sea moss, Gelidium Serrulatum, flourishes. This sea moss is also unusual, as it thrives in the presence of wave action and constant exposure to sunlight and surf. Attempts to cultivate it have not been successful yet. This one-of-a-kind sea moss from Matelot and Blanchisseuse can only be harvested by hand to avoid disrupting its foothold on the rocks of North Coast hamlets.

The ocean is a vast reservoir of bioactive compounds. Eighty per cent of the world’s species, as well as a high volume of microorganisms, thrive in the diverse conditions of the marine environment. Ocean temperatures range from -1.5 degrees C in the frozen seas of both poles to 350 degrees C in the hydrothermal ecosystems on the ocean floor.

This has produced a high level of biodiversity and extraordinary levels of chemodiversity. The rich compounds found in the oceans hold significant pharmaceutical potential, with marine-derived compounds contributing to the development of new drugs for various diseases in the Age of AI pharmaceutical discovery.