2010

What exactly does Darth Vader have to do with biodiversity?

...I'll get to that later.

The LARGEST international field project to explore marine life has finally released its results this October 4th after 10 long years!

In the past years, leading marine scientists have been deeply concerned about the lack of human understanding of life in our oceans - an ecosystem that covers 70% of the earth. The Census of Marine Life is a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain diversity (how many different kinds), distribution (where they live) and abundance (how many) in life in the oceans.

The Decade of Discovery included:

2,700 scientists

80+ nations

9,000 days at sea

540 expeditions

US$ 650 million

670 institutions involved

28 million+ distribution records

6000+ potentially new species

The research increased the estimated number of known species from 230 000 to 250 000. Of the millions of specimens collected, almost 6 000 are potentially new, and the formal description for more than 1 200 new species have been added to the tally.
The Census found living species everywhere - where heat would melt lead, where water froze to ice, and even where light and oxygen were scarce. New areas, like parts of melting glaciers are being colonized. The Census identified the Gulf of Mexico as one of the most biodiverse regions in the ocean - ironic, because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Census also found that the extremely cold South Orkney Islands near Antartica, was more biodiverse than the Galapagos Islands.

The Census assessed threat to marine life. In fact, the project was started primarily to raise awareness of marine biodiversity and the importance of conserving it. Over-fishing remains to be the biggest problem, however.

A report published by CoML (Census of Marine Life, states that the Census database still has no records for over 20% of the ocean's volume and very few for vast areas.
Despite the effort of scientists, according to estimates, for every species discovered, there is three that remain undiscovered. That leaves another 750 000 undiscovered species.
The Census has made it clear for us - we are nowhere near to uncovering the mysteries of the ocean. So there is still much work to be done; perhaps enough for a second installment of the Census of Marine Life.

Below are just a few examples of the 6 000 species that have been discovered in the past decade.

Yeti Crab (Kiwa hirsuta)
Looks warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?
Believe it or not, this blind crustacean
was discovered around hydrothermal vents
2.4 km under the South Pacific.

Jurassic Shrimp (Neoglyphea neocaledonica)
This species of shrimp was thought to be
extinct 50 million years ago.

Blue Christmas
These two Christmas-tree like creatures are actually
a single worm's 'crowns'. Each spiral is a row of tentacles
used for breathing and feeding. It was found near
Australia's Lizard Islands on a bed of corals.

Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)
One of the largest reef fish in the world, being 2 meters long,
these fish have a very rare talent of being able to switch sex!


Fang-Tongued Dragonfish It is gorgeous. This deep-sea dwelling was found in waters 250m below off the coast of Australia. One of the species found up in a higher elevation. Only around 25cm long, it eats shrimp, smaller fish, and even its own kind.

The Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus)
Yes, this disturbing blob is a fish! Thus the name.
Its gelatinous flesh gives it buoyancy in deep waters with high pressure,
and can grow up to 12 inches. Found off the coast of South East Australia.
They are in danger of becoming extinct.


"Kkkhhhhh. Luke, I am your father." This jellyfish does a decent impression of Darth Vader's helmet! Actually, it's an acorn-sized new species of jellyfish found travelling in swarms 1000m in the Arctic.