June 25, 2008
How many fish (and other species) in the sea?
Validated List of Known Ocean Species
Surpasses 120,000, Over Halfway to Goal
of Complete Inventory by October, 2010
World Register of Marine Species inaugurated with first 122,500 validated names;
Over 56,000 aliases for ocean species identified;
"Breadcrumb Sponge" reigns as marine champion of aliases with 56;
Census scientists estimate described marine species at 230,000 or more
Census of Marine Life-affiliated scientists (www.coml.org) consolidating world databases of ocean organisms have demoted to alias status almost one-third of all names culled from 34 regional and highly specialized inventories.
The new World Register of Marine Species (www.marinespecies.org) contains about 122,500 validated marine species names (experts having recognized and tidied up some 56,400 aliases - 32% of all names reviewed). It also contains some 5,600 images, hyperlinks to taxonomic literature and other information.
Marking the World Register's official inauguration, some 55 researchers from 17 countries met in Belgium to plan its completion by 2010. Leading World Register experts independently estimate that about 230,000 marine species are known to science. They also believe there are three times as many unknown (unnamed) marine species as known, for a grand total on Earth that could surpass 1 million.
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