Venetian lagoon

An unusual 6a-sterol sulfate (557) was isolated from Dysidea fragilis, from the Venetian lagoon and displayed cytotoxicity against two different tumour cell lines in vitro [460]. Tamosterone sulfates (558-559) are a C14 epimeric pair of polyhydroxylated sterols isolated from a new species of Oceanapia [461]. The Japanese marine sponge Epipolasis sp. contained the steroid polasterol B sulfate (560) along with the known compound halistanol sulfate (532). The structure of compound 560 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and a chemical conversion [462]. 

One of the largest membrane bioreator unit in the world was recently built in Porto Marghera (Venice, Italy) in order to extract remaining pollutants in tertiary water prior to disposal into the Venetian Lagoon [21]. 

John Steer, A Concise History of Venetian Painting, 1980. Light conditions on the lagoon encouraged a particular treatment of paint. Valuable materials for colours, smalt and verdigris, passed through the port and into colourists experiments. 

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