1st marine Census shows richer, more diverse ocean life than thought
By ANITuesday, October 5, 2010
WASHINGTON - 2,700 scientists from 80 nations have reported the first marine life Census after a 10-year exploration.
The first global Census of Marine Life presents an unprecedented picture of the diversity, distribution, and abundance of all kinds of marine life in Planet Ocean - from microbes to whales, from the icy poles to the warm tropics, from tidal near shores to the deepest dark depths.
Oceanic diversity is demonstrated by nearly 30 million observations of 120,000 species organized in the global marine life database of the Census, the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS).
The migrations tracked across seas and up and down in the water column, plus the revealed ubiquities of many species, demonstrate connections among oceans.
“We prevailed over early doubts that a Census was possible, as well as daunting extremes of nature,” said Australian Ian Poiner, chair of the Census Steering Committee.
“All surface life depends on life inside and beneath the oceans. Sea life provides half of our oxygen and a lot of our food and regulates climate. We are all citizens of the sea. And while much remains unknown, including at least 750,000 undiscovered species and their roles, we are better acquainted now with our fellow travellers and their vast habitat on this globe,” said Poiner. (ANI)
