The ocean is considered the greatest untapped source of novel genetic material, and, because of Bermuda's location, BBSR has unique access to deep-ocean
organisms daily. We are now in a position to collect the complete genetic codes of organisms found in Bermuda's various marine environments.
The research interests of scientists from Bermuda and around the world will determine what kinds of withdrawals are made from the Marine Genome Bank. A
scientist with biomedical interests might be looking for chemicals with the potential to be developed into anti-cancer treatments. Another scientist might be interested
in looking for molecules that convert carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, to a form of carbon that could be used for food or
fuel. As academic and industrial researchers come up with new ideas on how to use biomolecules for medical, agricultural or industrial processes, we can anticipate more and more requests. A second form of dividend will come from the use of the genome bank by customers from the private
sector. For instance, should a biotechnology or pharmaceutical firm successfully develop an anti-cancer treatment based on genes withdrawn from the bank, several parties would benefit. One party, of course, would
be cancer patients. A second party would be the corporations responsible for developing, testing and marketing the drug. Last but by no means least, BBSR
would benefit – any withdrawal from the Marine Genome Bank by a private sector entity will be made on terms that entitle BBSR to a royalty on sales of any product
derived from that withdrawal. This type of dividend would benefit all people and parties with a stake in BBSR's education and research activities. 
Collected samples are concentrated down to a few milliliters by a simple filtration process. The DNA (genomes) present in all
of these microbes is isolated, purified and prepared for cloning. Using the tools of genetic engineering, this DNA from a mixed population of Sargasso Sea organisms are cloned into a population of domesticated
laboratory bacteria. These bacteria contain, in addition to their own DNA, a chunk of the DNA from the Sargasso Sea. These clones are placed in the genome bank freezer for storage.
As for dividends, these will fall into two broad
classes. One form of dividend will be advancements to our basic understanding of oceanic biology. The Marine Genome Bank will contain in it all the information necessary to come to both a qualitative
and quantitative understanding of the biodiversity present in Bermuda's marine environments. This information will enter the public domain by means of publication in professional scientific literature. The
value of this dividend to our understanding of life on earth will be incalculable.
