Sea Life Census Breakthrough

Category:

Environment

Topic:

Census of Marine Life

Overview:

A decade ago the world's leading ichthyologists set out to create the world's first ever census of marine life. This was a seemingly impossible task, as over 1,400 new species are discovered every year, but with over 2,000 scientists from over 80 nations working to develop the census of marine life from both past, present, and future, the task is not as large as it once seemed. Once done this census will approximate how many of each species exist and where they live, as well as the ocean's overall biodiversity and the results of their studies will be revealed on October 4th, 2010 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.

This census will help scientists to keep track of past and future discoveries in marine life, and, using a computer program they also built, predict the future ecology in marine life.

Importance:

Because of this census scientists can now efficiently predict the outcome of a species in years to come, which species will be extinct due to overfishing etc., as well as monitor the rapidly changing biodiversity in the ocean and ocean acidification in the coral reefs.

What is Going to Happen to the Census in 2010?:

This census will be released to the public on October 4th of 2010, providing it's extensive knowledge and findings with the rest of the world.

Setbacks:

Every year about 1,400 new species of marine life are discovered which could potentially set back the release of this census or how updated it is when it is released this October.