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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
The magnitude of global marine species diversity
Current Biology, Volume 22, No. 23, Year 2012
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Description
Background: The question of how many marine species exist is important because it provides a metric for how much we do and do not know about life in the oceans. We have compiled the first register of the marine species of the world and used this baseline to estimate how many more species, partitioned among all major eukaryotic groups, may be discovered. Results: There are ∼226,000 eukaryotic marine species described. More species were described in the past decade (∼20,000) than in any previous one. The number of authors describing new species has been increasing at a faster rate than the number of new species described in the past six decades. We report that there are ∼170,000 synonyms, that 58,000-72,000 species are collected but not yet described, and that 482,000-741,000 more species have yet to be sampled. Molecular methods may add tens of thousands of cryptic species. Thus, there may be 0.7-1.0 million marine species. Past rates of description of new species indicate there may be 0.5 ± 0.2 million marine species. On average 37% (median 31%) of species in over 100 recent field studies around the world might be new to science. Conclusions: Currently, between one-third and two-thirds of marine species may be undescribed, and previous estimates of there being well over one million marine species appear highly unlikely. More species than ever before are being described annually by an increasing number of authors. If the current trend continues, most species will be discovered this century. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Appeltans, Ward
Belgium, Oostende
Vlaams Instituut Voor de Zee
Belgium, Oostende
Ioc Project Office for Iode
Ahyong, Shane T.
Australia, Sydney
Australian Museum
Australia, Sydney
Unsw Sydney
Anderson, Gary
United States, Hattiesburg
University of Southern Mississippi
Angel, Martin V.
United Kingdom, Southampton
National Oceanography Centre Southampton
Artois, Tom J.
Belgium, Hasselt
Universiteit Hasselt
Bailly, Nicolas
Malaysia, Bayan Lepas
Worldfish
Bamber, Roger N.
United Kingdom, Southampton
Artoo Marine Biology Consultants
Barber, Anthony
United Kingdom, Ivybridge
British Myriapod and Isopod Group
Bartsch, Ilse
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut Und Naturmuseum
Berta, Annalisa
United States, San Diego
San Diego State University
Błażewicz, Magdalena
Poland, Lodz
University of Lodz
Bock, Phil
Australia, Melbourne
Museum Victoria
Boxshall, Geoffrey A.
United Kingdom, London
The Natural History Museum, London
Boyko, Christopher B.
United States, Oakdale
Dowling College
Brandão, Simone Nunes
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut Und Naturmuseum
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Bray, Rodney Alan
United Kingdom, London
The Natural History Museum, London
Bruce, Niel L.
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Australia, Townsville
James Cook University
Cairns, Stephen D.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Chan, Tin Yam
Taiwan, Keelung
National Taiwan Ocean University
Cheng, Lanna
United States, La Jolla
Marine Biology Research Division
Collins, Allen G.
United States, Silver Spring
Noaa National Marine Fisheries Service
Cribb, Thomas H.
Australia, Brisbane
The University of Queensland
Curini-Galletti, M.
Italy, Sassari
Università Degli Studi Di Sassari
Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid
Belgium, Brussels
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Belgium, Brussels
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Davie, Peter J.F.
Australia, Brisbane
Queensland Museum
Dawson, Michael N.
United States, Merced
Uc Merced
de Clerck, Olivier
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Decock, Wim
Belgium, Oostende
Vlaams Instituut Voor de Zee
de Grave, Sammy
United Kingdom, Oxford
University of Oxford
de Voogd, Nicole Joy D.E.
Netherlands, Leiden
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Domning, Daryl P.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Howard University
Emig, Christian C.
France, Marseille
Brachnet
Erséus, Christer
Sweden, Gothenburg
Göteborgs Universitet
Eschmeyer, William
United States, Gainesville
Florida Museum of Natural History
United States, San Francisco
California Academy of Sciences
Fauchald, Kristian
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Fautin, Daphne G.
United States, Lawrence
University ks Natural History Museum
Feist, Stephen W.
United Kingdom, Lowestoft
Centre for the Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Fransen, Charles H.J.M.
Netherlands, Leiden
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Furuya, Hidetaka
Japan, Suita
Osaka University
Garcia-Alvarez, Oscar
Spain, Santiago de Compostela
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
Gerken, Sarah
United States, Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Gibson, David I.
United Kingdom, London
The Natural History Museum, London
Gittenberger, Arjan
Netherlands, Leiden
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Gofas, S.
Spain, Malaga
Universidad de Málaga
Gómez-Daglio, Liza
United States, Merced
Uc Merced
Gordon, Dennis P.
New Zealand, Auckland
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Guiry, Michael D.
Ireland, Galway
University of Galway
Hernandez, Francisco
Belgium, Oostende
Vlaams Instituut Voor de Zee
Hoeksema, Bert W.
Netherlands, Leiden
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Hopcroft, Russell R.
United States, Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Jaume, Damià
Spain, Palma
Universitat de Les Illes Balears
Kirk, Paul M.
United Kingdom, Wallingford
Cabi, United Kingdom
Koedam, Nico E.
Belgium, Brussels
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Koenemann, Stefan
Germany, Siegen
Universität Siegen
Kolb, Jürgen B.
New Zealand, Auckland
Massey University Auckland
Kristensen, Reinhardt M.
Denmark, Copenhagen
Statens Naturhistoriske Museum
Kroh, Andreas
Austria, Vienna
Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna
Lambert, Gretchen
United States, Friday Harbor
Friday Harbor Laboratories
Lazarus, David B.
Germany, Berlin
Museum Für Naturkunde
Lemaitre, Rafael
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Longshaw, Matt
United Kingdom, Lowestoft
Centre for the Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Lowry, Jim
Australia, Sydney
Australian Museum
Macpherson, Enrique
Spain, Blanes
Csic - Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes Ceab
Madin, Laurence P.
United States, Woods Hole
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Mah, Christopher L.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Mapstone, Gill
United Kingdom, London
The Natural History Museum, London
McLaughlin, Patsy A.
United States, Anacortes
Shannon Point Marine Center
Mees, Jan
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Belgium, Oostende
Vlaams Instituut Voor de Zee
Meland, Kenneth
Norway, Bergen
Universitetet I Bergen
Messing, Charles G.
United States, Fort Lauderdale
Nova Southeastern University
Mills, Claudia E.
United States, Friday Harbor
Friday Harbor Laboratories
Molodtsova, Tina N.
Russian Federation, Moscow
P.p.shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Mooi, Rich
United States, San Francisco
California Academy of Sciences
Neuhaus, Birger
Germany, Berlin
Museum Für Naturkunde
Ng, Peter K.L.
Singapore, Singapore City
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Nielsen, Claus
Denmark, Copenhagen
Statens Naturhistoriske Museum
Norenburg, Jon
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Opresko, Dennis M.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Osawa, Masayuki
Japan, Matsue
Shimane University
Paulay, Gustav
United States, Gainesville
Florida Museum of Natural History
Perrin, William F.
United States, Washington, D.c.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Pilger, John F.
United States, Decatur
Agnes Scott College
Poore, Gary C.B.
Australia, Melbourne
Museum Victoria
Pugh, Phil
United Kingdom, Southampton
National Oceanography Centre Southampton
Read, Geoffrey B.
New Zealand, Auckland
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Reimer, James Davis
Japan, Nishihara
University of the Ryukyus
Rius, Marc
United States, Davis
University of California, Davis
Rocha, Rosana M.
Brazil, Curitiba
Universidade Federal do Parana
Saiz-Salinas, José I.
Spain, Leioa
Universidad Del Pais Vasco
Scarabino, Victor
Uruguay, Montevideo
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Uruguay
Schierwater, Bernd
Germany, Hannover
Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover
Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Schnabel, Kareen E.
New Zealand, Auckland
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Schotte, Marilyn
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Schuchert, Peter
Switzerland, Geneva
Natural History Museum of Geneva
Schwabe, Enrico
Germany, Munich
Zoologische Staatssammlung München
Segers, Hendrik H.
Belgium, Brussels
Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut Voor Natuurwetenschappen
Self-Sullivan, Caryn
United States, Fort Lauderdale
Nova Southeastern University
United States, Fredericksburg
Sirenian International
Shenkar, Noa
Israel, Tel Aviv-yafo
Tel Aviv University
Siegel, Volker
Germany, Hamburg
Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology
Statistics
Citations: 862
Authors: 100
Affiliations: 76
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.036
ISSN:
09609822