Sea Census Logs 185K Species ... and Counting

Project leaders say they've only recorded a fraction of marine life
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 4, 2010 8:21 AM CDT
Sea Census Logs 185K Species ... and Counting
This undated handout image provided by the Census of Marine Life shows, Prorocentrum, an unusual dinoflagellate with two large valves.   (AP Photo/Bob Andersen and D. J. Patterson, Census of Marine Life)

Scientists working on the Census of Marine Life have logged more than 185,000 species since the massive project began a decade ago, and say that's just a fraction of the total. The project—which has been trying to log all sea life from whales to single-celled creatures—plans to publish its "Catalog of the Seas" this fall, by which time it aims to have 230,000 entries. Project leaders estimate that for every species logged, four more remain unknown to science, Der Speigel reports.

"At the end of the Census of Marine Life, most ocean organisms still remain nameless and their numbers unknown," the leader of the census' coral reef project said. "This is not an admission of failure," she added. "The ocean is simply so vast that, after 10 years of hard work, we still have only snapshots—though sometimes detailed—of what the sea contains." Fish account for just 12% of sea life, the researchers estimate, with crustaceans and mollusks accounting for 40%. (More marine census stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X