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Marine life census releases first figures
One Fish, Two Fish
David Malakoff
Science Now
23rd October 2003
Do nematodes rule Neptune's realm? That's just one question marine researchers hope to answer through the Census of Marine Life, a decade-long initiative to tally global ocean life that today released its first figures at a conference in Washington, D.C. So far, scientists have named some 210,000 marine species, but up to 10 times more may remain undiscovered--including perhaps a million kinds of nematodes, microworms found around the world.
The ambitious census was born 3 years ago, after marine biologists realized that new technologies--from sensors that can track individual fish and whales to genetic bar code readers that can speedily separate microscopic species--could revolutionize efforts to document the diversity, distribution, and abundance of ocean animals. With start-up funds from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York City, the census began assembling a far-flung network of researchers working on a patchwork of projects. The ultimate goal: To construct a detailed online atlas illustrating where marine organisms once lived, where they occur now, and how patterns might change in the future. More than 300 scientists in 53 nations now participate in the effort, which could cost $1 billion to complete.
More than one-third of those researchers gathered today in Washington, D.C., to review their progress so far and plan the next steps. Ichthyologists reported that more than 15,300 marine fish species are now included in the census database. They expect to add at least 2000 more by the end of census in 2010. Researchers are also adding about 1700 other kinds of animals and plants each year. And the pace could pick up with expeditions into virgin territory. New automated submarines, for instance, now allow scientists to probe polar waters long considered too difficult to explore. But organizers warn that a shortage of knowledgeable scientists means it could take decades--or even centuries--to describe and name all the new species such expeditions might scoop up.
Still, the census represents "new, truly international large-scale approach to studying these ecosystems," says J. Frederick Grassle of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, one of the census leaders. And the Sloan Foundation's Jesse Ausubel predicts it will "improve our view of marine life and conditions in ways unimaginable short years ago."
"The Unknown Ocean" - Baseline Report of the Census of Marine Life
October 2003 (pdf 1.4MB)
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