Filed under: Climate Change, Plants and Wildlife

You've probably seen those ads for the 2010 Census, starring Ed Begley Jr and a bunch of other funny folks. But you may not know that this is also the year that the Census of Marine Life will be released. Although this is the culmination of many years of work, it does not have a reality star (yet) to help promote it.

The results of the multi-year effort are due to be released in October, and the lead researchers have just released a fascinating preview of the results.

Their findings? Good news (new species!), bad news (declines in biodiversity), and a few calls to action (acidity will continue to rise unless we do something).
Researchers found over 5,000 new marine creatures, many of them in the most remote areas of the oceans. The new species include squid, octopuses and jellyfish, plus a crazy crab with long, hairy claws called a Yeti Crab.

They found a huge variety of life under Antarctica, which seems inhospitable, but actually supports over 8,000 species, including a fish that literally has antifreeze in its blood.

In other parts of the underwater world, they found several underwater "mountains" that support a wide range of life, and an ancient underwater coral reef.

They also witnessed the results of ocean acidification as a result of global warming. Some species, like algae, are thriving, while others, like the newly discovered coral reef are literally dissolving in the acid.

"There is a 30 percent reduction in biodiversity when you get to pH 7.8, which is predicted by the end of this century," One researcher explained in Discovery News. "All of the calcifiers (organisms with hard outer skeletons or shells) are either dissolving or dead."

More than 80 nations are participating in this global research program, which has been conducted over the past 10 years. It's the world's first comprehensive census of marine life, and includes data on past, present and future trends. One important goal is to provide this information to governments and policymakers to help them create protected marine areas by 2012.

Sneak Peak at the Census of Marine Life originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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