Measurement of ecological, climatic and anthropogenic changes underpins the formulation of effective management strategies for
sustainable use and protection of the marine environment. Sensors are traditionally used in marine studies to determine physical
parameters, but there is increasing demand for real-time information about chemical and biological parameters. These parameters
are currently measured in samples collected at sea and subsequently analysed in the laboratory. Biosensors fuse the exquisite
sensitivity and specificity of living systems with the processing power of microelectronics to deliver simple, inexpensive measurement
systems for use in the field or deployment in situ. While their potential for use in the marine environment is enormous, much
published work to date has focussed on applications in freshwater and wastewater. Marine applications pose a substantial challenge
in the robustness required for remote application, but recent developments in portable medical devices and receptor design suggest
that these demands can now be realistically tackled