The magnitude of global marine species diversity
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2012-12-01Author
Appeltans, Ward
Ahyong, Shane T.
Anderson, Gary
Angel, Martin V.
Artois, Tom
Bailly, Nicolas
Bamber, Roger
Barber, Anthony
Bartsch, Ilse
Berta, Annalisa
Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, Magdalena
Bock, Phil
Boxshall, Geoff
Boyko, Christopher B.
Brandão, Simone Nunes
Bray, Rod A.
Bruce, Niel L.
Cairns, Stephen D.
Chan, Tin-Yam
Cheng, Lanna
Collins, Allen G.
Cribb, Thomas
Curini-Galletti, Marco
Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid
Davie, Peter J.F.
Dawson, Michael N.
De Clerck, Olivier
Decock, Wim
De Grave, Sammy
de Voogd, Nicole J.
Domning, Daryl P.
Emig, Christian C.
Erséus, Christer
Eschmeyer, William
Fauchald, Kristian
Fautin, Daphne G.
Feist, Stephen W.
Fransen, Charles H.J.M.
Furuya, Hidetaka
Garcia-Alvarez, Oscar
Gerken, Sarah
Gibson, David
Gittenberger, Arjan
Gofas, Serge
Gómez-Daglio, Liza
Gordon, Dennis P.
Guiry, Michael D.
Hernandez, Francisco
Hoeksema, Bert W.
Hopcroft, Russell R.
Jaume, Damià
Kirk, Paul
Koedam, Nico
Koenemann, Stefan
Kolb, Jürgen B.
Kristensen, Reinhardt M.
Kroh, Andreas
Lambert, Gretchen
Lazarus, David B.
Lemaitre, Rafael
Longshaw, Matt
Lowry, Jim
Macpherson, Enrique
Madin, Laurence P.
Mah, Christopher
Mapstone, Gill
McLaughlin, Patsy A.
Mees, Jan
Meland, Kenneth
Messing, Charles G.
Mills, Claudia E.
Molodtsova, Tina N.
Mooi, Rich
Neuhaus, Birger
Ng, Peter K.L.
Nielsen, Claus
Norenburg, Jon
Opresko, Dennis M.
Osawa, Masayuki
Paulay, Gustav
Perrin, William
Pilger, John F.
Poore, Gary C.B.
Pugh, Phil
Read, Geoffrey B.
Reimer, James D.
Rius, Marc
Rocha, Rosana M.
Saiz-Salinas, José I.
Scarabino, Victor
Schierwater, Bernd
Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas
Schnabel, Kareen E.
Schotte, Marilyn
Schuchert, Peter
Schwabe, Enrico
Segers, Hendrik
Self-Sullivan, Caryn
Shenkar, Noa
Siegel, Volker
Sterrer, Wolfgang
Stöhr, Sabine
Swalla, Billie
Tasker, Mark L.
Thuesen, Erik V.
Timm, Tarmo
Todaro, M. Antonio
Turon, Xavier
Tyler, Seth
Uetz, Peter
van der Land, Jacob
Vanhoorne, Bart
van Ofwegen, Leen P.
van Soest, Rob W.M.
Vanaverbeke, Jan
Walker-Smith, Genefor
Walter, T. Chad
Warren, Alan
Williams, Gary C.
Wilson, Simon P.
Costello, Mark J.
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Appeltans, Ward; Ahyong, Shane T. Anderson, Gary; Angel, Martin V.; Artois, Tom; Bailly, Nicolas; Bamber, Roger; Barber, Anthony; Bartsch, Ilse; Berta, Annalisa; Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, Magdalena; Bock, Phil; Boxshall, Geoff; Boyko, Christopher B.; Brandão, Simone Nunes; Bray, Rod A.; Bruce, Niel L.; Cairns, Stephen D.; Chan, Tin-Yam; Cheng, Lanna; Collins, Allen G.; Cribb, Thomas; Curini-Galletti, Marco; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid; Davie, Peter J.F.; Dawson, Michael N.; De Clerck, Olivier; Decock, Wim; De Grave, Sammy; de Voogd, Nicole J.; Domning, Daryl P.; Emig, Christian C.; Erséus, Christer; Eschmeyer, William; Fauchald, Kristian; Fautin, Daphne G.; Feist, Stephen W.; Fransen, Charles H.J.M.; Furuya, Hidetaka; Garcia-Alvarez, Oscar; Gerken, Sarah; Gibson, David; Gittenberger, Arjan; Gofas, Serge; Gómez-Daglio, Liza; Gordon, Dennis P.; Guiry, Michael D.; Hernandez, Francisco; Hoeksema, Bert W.; Hopcroft, Russell R.; Jaume, Damià; Kirk, Paul; Koedam, Nico; Koenemann, Stefan; Kolb, Jürgen B.; Kristensen, Reinhardt M.; Kroh, Andreas; Lambert, Gretchen; Lazarus, David B.; Lemaitre, Rafael; Longshaw, Matt; Lowry, Jim; Macpherson, Enrique; Madin, Laurence P.; Mah, Christopher; Mapstone, Gill; McLaughlin, Patsy A.; Mees, Jan; Meland, Kenneth; Messing, Charles G.; Mills, Claudia E.; Molodtsova, Tina N.; Mooi, Rich; Neuhaus, Birger; Ng, Peter K.L.; Nielsen, Claus; Norenburg, Jon; Opresko, Dennis M.; Osawa, Masayuki; Paulay, Gustav; Perrin, William; Pilger, John F.; Poore, Gary C.B.; Pugh, Phil; Read, Geoffrey B.; Reimer, James D.; Rius, Marc; Rocha, Rosana M.; Saiz-Salinas, José I.; Scarabino, Victor; Schierwater, Bernd; Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas; Schnabel, Kareen E.; Schotte, Marilyn; Schuchert, Peter; Schwabe, Enrico; Segers, Hendrik; Self-Sullivan, Caryn; Shenkar, Noa; Siegel, Volker; Sterrer, Wolfgang; Stöhr, Sabine; Swalla, Billie; Tasker, Mark L.; Thuesen, Erik V.; Timm, Tarmo; Todaro, M. Antonio; Turon, Xavier; Tyler, Seth; Uetz, Peter; van der Land, Jacob; Vanhoorne, Bart; van Ofwegen, Leen P.; van Soest, Rob W.M.; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Walker-Smith, Genefor; Walter, T. Chad; Warren, Alan; Williams, Gary C.; Wilson, Simon P.; Costello, Mark J. (2012). The magnitude of global marine species diversity. Current Biology 22 (23), 2189-2202
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Abstract
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 similar to 226,000 eukaryotic marine species described. More species were described in the past decade (similar to 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 similar to 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.