Download Sample
Schedule a Meeting
NA : +1 804 441 9344
sales@towardshealthcare.com
September 2025
The global marine biotechnology market size is calculated at US$ 6.72 billion in 2024, grew to US$ 7.21 billion in 2025, and is projected to reach around US$ 13.25 billion by 2034. The market is expanding at a CAGR of 7.24% between 2025 and 2034.
The widespread benefits of algae, like microalgae & macroalgae, seaweed, and alternatives for feed ingredients, are fostering the global marine biotechnology market. Alongside innovative extraction methods, and the emergence of advanced solutions in aquaculture health, bioremediation, and marine-derived ingredients are impacting the overall drug discovery processes. Highly developed countries are stepping into the blue economy, R&D activities of marine-derived products, and India, China, Japan, & South Korea are transforming fermentation & strain engineering approaches.
| Table | Scope |
| Market Size in 2025 | USD 7.21 Billion |
| Projected Market Size in 2034 | USD 13.25 Billion |
| CAGR (2025 - 2034) | 7.24% |
| Leading Region | North America by 40% |
| Market Segmentation | By Source/Biomass, By Application/End-use, By Technology/Platform, By End User/Buyer, By Product Type, By Region |
| Top Key Players | PharmaMar S.A., Cyanotech Corporation, AstaReal Co., Ltd., Marinomed Biotech AG, AlgaEnergy, Corbion, Kerecis, Cyanotech/first up, Coral Vita/reef-restoration & marine bioengineering innovators, Aphios Corporation, AMSILK/bio-materials innovators, Mara Renewables/Mara Seaweed, Phytoplankton/AlgaSpring, Hatch Blue/aquaculture biotech & feed tech startups, Cyanovation/Cyanotech-like regional players, BlueBioTech/small to mid-cap marine biotech firms, SeaBeLife Biotech, Kitozyme/suppliers of marine polysaccharides, Large ingredient distributors |
Marine biotechnology (blue biotech) uses marine organisms, their derivatives, and marine-derived bio-processes to create products and technologies across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, aquaculture, biofuels, and industrial enzymes. It covers sourcing (wild-harvest and aquaculture), bioprospecting, strain development, cultivation (microalgae, macroalgae, sponges, microbes), extraction & fractionation, bioprocessing (fermentation, enzymatic conversion), formulations, and downstream applications.
Key value drivers are unique marine bioactive compounds (novel pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals), sustainable biomass (algae for food, feed, bio-based materials), and growing demand for blue-economy solutions (aquaculture health, bioremediation, marine-derived ingredients). Market sizing estimates vary by source, but most recent reports place the 2024–2025 global market in the mid-to-high single-digit billions USD with a multi-year CAGR in the high single digits.
The global market is imposing the widespread adoption of AI algorithms for real-time monitoring, pollution identification, marine species finding, and aquaculture improvements. Currently, emerging deep learning for predictive modeling in aquaculture and the evolution of hybrid AI-robot systems for tasks such as hull inspection and data collection are also fostering the comprehensive use of advanced techniques. The latest developed Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are supporting the identification of species, the collection of data, and the mapping of seafloor resources, particularly mineral deposits like manganese crusts, by integrating data from sonar and imaging systems.
Expansion in Technologies and Pharmaceutical Applications
Day by day, the globe is emphasizing a huge demand for eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives, which further promotes advances in technologies employed in genomics, bioprospecting, and genetic engineering. These innovations support a robust application of marine resources and the development of the drug discovery process. Along with this, researchers are widely involved in the revolutionary efforts in marine-derived compounds for the treatment of chronic and infectious diseases, and also the growing interest in marine nutraceuticals like omega-3s and astaxanthin contributes to the overall marine biotechnology market growth.
Need for Higher Investment and Cultivation Difficulties
In this era, the respective market is facing complexities in cultivating on a large scale and the development of strong extraction methods. Additionally, the increasing requirement for significant investment in scaling up of laboratory-based discoveries, with the installation of specialized facilities & equipment.
Broader Applications in Pharmaceuticals and Environmental Solutions
In the future, the global marine biotechnology market will have phenomenal applications in merging environmental solutions, like bioremediation and environmental recovery. Moreover, the marine-derived pharmaceuticals sector is aiming at the production of treatments for cancer, drug-resistant bacterial infections, and viral diseases, with continuous research into neurodegenerative disorders and immunomodulatory therapies. Also, this marine biotechnology is leveraging unique bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, terpenes, and polysaccharides, that will bolster the advancements in targeted drug delivery systems, especially through marine-derived polymers such as chitosan.
In 2024, the algae segment held a major share of nearly 35-40% of the market. This type of source provides diverse kinds of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, pigments (like phycocyanin and astaxanthin), essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA), and antioxidants. This further enhances consumers' interest in algae-based products for their health advantageous effects, like escalating immunity, optimizing gut health, and supporting overall nutritional fitness. Nowadays, studies exploring the use of polysaccharides from red algae against viruses, mainly herpes and influenza, and compounds from different algae that encompass anti-inflammatory properties.
Whereas the seaweed-derived polysaccharides segment will expand rapidly in the marine biotechnology market during 2025-2034. The widespread applications of this source in numerous health issues, and its wider abundance and renewability of seaweed resources, with enhanced biocompatibility and biodegradability, are impacting its overall demand. Furthermore, the worldwide demand for sustainable options to traditional products, such as using them as prebiotics or for drug delivery, is supporting further progression. The research area emphasizes the utilization of this source for the creation of biodegradable polymer films and hydrogels as a sustainable choice to petroleum-based plastics, incorporated into the bio-based economy.
By capturing approximately 30% share, the pharmaceuticals & drug discovery segment led the marine biotechnology market in 2024. A prominent technological advancement includes omics & bioinformatics for the analysis of DNA, metabolic, and protein profiles, which encourages the detection of robust compounds from marine organisms. The emerging trend in the market is the exploration of the deep-sea and the study of extremophiles, facilitating access to organisms with novel genetic and biochemical properties, which boosts the scope of marine drug discovery.
Although the aquaculture health & feed additives segment is estimated to witness rapid expansion. A surge in a huge demand for global seafood, the essentials for sustainable aquaculture practices, and issues over antibiotic resistance are driving the segmental expansion. Nowadays, the world is focusing on functional feed additives, particularly immunostimulants from algae, the revolution of faster disease diagnostic kits, and evolving sustainable feed ingredients. Ongoing nutritional enhancements in species-specific and nutritionally balanced larval feeds, and involvement of functional additives like bile acid and yeast extract, are improving digestibility.
The cultivation & farming segment accounted for nearly 40% share of the marine biotechnology market in 2024. This kind of technology is incorporated in improving the selection of breeding, enhancing fish vaccines, and antimicrobial peptides, which are fostering aquaculture operations and disease management. The market is stepping into gene editing for escalated aquaculture traits, mainly sterile fish, the transformation of new vaccines like CIFA-Brood-Vac for fish health, and the utilization of genome editing to evolve disease-resistant crustaceans.
However, the fermentation & strain engineering segment will witness the fastest expansion. The segment will be fueled by the greater demand for eco-friendly choices in food, biofuels, and health, including for new antibiotics, nutraceuticals, and bio-based materials. Ongoing technological breakthroughs in precision fermentation, metabolic and genome engineering, AI-powered screening, and integrated bioreactor technologies that expand strain performance and effectiveness. The use of omega-3 fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, and enzymes, closed-tank bioreactors, integrated downstream processing, and sustainable agro-industrial waste applications are supporting the comprehensive adoption.
In 2024, the nutraceutical & food ingredient manufacturers segment dominated with approximately 34% revenue share of the market. The segment is propelled by the wider contribution of BASF SE, Aker BioMarine, Corbion N.V., DSM-Firmenich, and NutriMarine Life Sciences. Besides this, the accelerating consumer awareness and reporting on the advantages of marine-based nutraceuticals, which consist of optimized antioxidant and immune-boosting properties.
And, the pharmaceutical & biopharma companies segment will expand rapidly. Companies are putting efforts into a wide range of R&D investments that are boosting marine biotechnology, resulting in novel drug discovery, gene sequencing, and biosynthetic engineering transformations. Currently, they are focusing on the advances in synthetic biology for large-scale production, the progression of non-opioid painkillers and neurological treatments, and groundbreaking biomaterials for medical applications.
The bioactive compounds/pharmaceuticals segment held nearly 30% share of the marine biotechnology market in 2024. The segment is driven by the wider marine biodiversity that comprises various sponges, algae, and microorganisms, used in the development of treatments for cancer, neurological disorders, and infections. The market is focusing on marine actinomycetes and fungi as rich sources of new metabolites, like polyketides and alkaloids, and innovative sustainable extraction methods to expand yields for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
Whereas, the feed & aquafeed ingredients segment is anticipated to register the fastest growth. This mainly comprises soybean meal, fish meal, corn, fish oil, and specialized additives, especially amino acids, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and enzymes. Continuous use of functional feed additives, specifically astaxanthin, found in red yeast and certain algae, is boosting certain applications in fish health by lowering oxidative stress and enhancing fillet color. Other factors, like the need for high-quality, high-protein feeds, efforts to minimize feed waste, and government initiatives for sustainable practices, are also fostering the segmental and market expansion.
North America’s marine biotechnology market captured nearly 40% share due to the leading clinical pipelines, nutraceutical demand, and R&D. In this era, this region is aiming at sustainable aquaculture, advanced algae-based uses, and the application of gene editing technologies for evolving new products in medicine, food, and biofuels. Recently, they have developed algae-derived nutraceuticals for liver health (e.g., Cadalmin LivCure extract), and the sponges and corals are being merged in new anti-cancer drugs.
For instance,
In February 2025, Symrise and salmon-based ingredient manufacturer HofSeth BioCare (HBC) collaborated to facilitate marine nutraceuticals to the global market.
In June 2025, ECO Canada officially launched Ocean Alliance Canada (OAC), a new initiative that fosters partnerships from coast to coast to boost the foundations of Canada's sustainable blue economy.
During 2025-2034, the Asia Pacific is expected to expand rapidly in the marine biotechnology market with ongoing aquaculture expansion, domestic algae industries (food & feed), and government investment. Governments of India, Japan, China, and South Korea are increasingly contributing their R&D investment in the development of marine nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, as well as the conservation of the blue economy. ASAP is shifting towards gene manipulation techniques and marine synthetic biology as a new platform for biotechnological development.
For instance,
The market is promoting the identification and harnessing of marine biodiversity for new compounds and biomaterials through steps like bioprospecting and screening.
Key Players: BASF SE, Aker BioMarine, Corbion, etc.
The collection and cultivation of marine organisms, the extraction of potential bioactive compounds or biomaterials for analysis, and finally, producers impose the final dosage form in the marine biotechnology market.
The global market offers numerous applications of discoveries from marine organisms and resources to evolve pharmaceutical drugs, nutraceuticals, and other products for human health.
Key Players: Marine Life Sciences, Phytologix Life Sciences, etc.
By Source/Biomass
By Application/End-use
By Technology/Platform
By End User/Buyer
By Product Type
By Region
September 2025
September 2025
September 2025
September 2025