For years, Pia Winberg has been trying to explain just how useful nutrients from the sea can be in everyday life.
Now, Dr Winberg says the tide has turned and her area of science is no longer called "weird" or questioned.
"Australia is girt by sea and we have many [aquatic] industries beyond salmon, abalone, oysters and mussels.
"If Australia takes its biotechnology expertise and applies it to opportunities from the ocean, we can unlock such big future growth in sustainable high-tech industries."
She said the ocean was home to some of the world's most ancient molecules that had huge potential in biotechnology and provided Australia with commercial opportunities.
$59m funding for marine bioproducts, but what are they?
Marine bioproducts are marine organisms that can be used for animal feed, nutritional supplements and soil fertilisers. Their use in medicine is emerging.
They are also used in toothpaste, paint and even to keep flakes suspended in salad dressing.
Dr Winberg said it had been difficult in the past to secure research funding.
Half the challenge, she said, was explaining how the marine bioproducts worked.
A $59m federal government grant through the Cooperative Research Centres is a major vote of confidence in the emerging area of science.
The grant will be distributed across 68 partners, including Dr Winberg and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterial Science (ACES) based at the University of Wollongong.
The Wollongong centre is at the forefront of creating new materials using marine organisms that can be incorporated into health products.
"Marine bioproducts can be food stuff, through to molecules extracted for agricultural purposes and the high-tech end of things," ACES director Gordon Wallace said.
"It covers a huge spectrum of products that feed into what we do in our everyday lives.
Professor Wallace has been working closely with Dr Winberg on incorporating seaweed molecules into 3D bioprinting products to help with wound healing.
The same seaweed molecule can also be embedded into wound dressings to assist in healing and also replace a more toxic chemical that prevents bacteria growth.
"The ocean holds so much and our whole coastline is covered with unique species and molecules that are ready to explore," Dr Winberg said.
It is not just seaweed that can be used in a biomedical context too.
Professor Wallace said molecules from fish skins could provide collagen to also assist in wound healing.
An employment opportunity for saltwater communities
At her business near the pristine waters of Jervis Bay in the NSW Shoalhaven, Dr Winberg is perfectly placed to tap into the scientific potential of the ocean.
She said major investment like the $59m announced this week could lead to significant employment opportunities, particularly for a region that used to be known for seafood.
"We can go back to the saltwater," she said.
"The ocean offers opportunities and so many different types of products, so it's a merging of science, economic and social opportunities for Australia."
