eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Ocean Research 2015-04-28 3 1 1 13 10.12691/jor-3-1-1 JOR2015311 article Popoola Raimot Titilade titipopoola@gmail.com 1 Elegbede Isa Olalekan 2 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria Department of Environmental Planning, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany Genomics is a field of study that is rapidly transforming many areas of biological and biomedical research which has enabled the transition from sequential studies of single genes to more ecological approach, involving the simultaneous study of many components and their interactions with the environment from pathways, through cell tissues to whole organisms and communities. Genomics application areas include clinical diagnostics, agro biotechnology, environmental biotechnology and pharmacogenomics. The focus of most genome research is on the nuclear genome, though mitochondrial genomes have been extremely useful for the identification of fish species and populations. Marine microbial assemblages are diverse and unique and the challenge is to discover what functions are played by these microorganisms. To provide adequate tools for marine biologists, therefore, one important aim will be to develop genomic approaches, such as whole genome sequencing and functional genomics, for key species across the evolutionary tree of marine organisms. Genomics is a highly dynamic research field. Hence, rapid developments in genomics can afford new opportunities for applications in marine environment, particularly in the areas of Fish genome resources conservation and genetic enhancement. http://pubs.sciepub.com/jor/3/1/1/jor-3-1-1.pdf genomes genetic enhancement genome sequencing marine evolution medicine