Marine Scientists Complete The Census of Marine Life

The Census of Marine Life, officially concluded today (Oct. 4), adding thousands of species to the list of known ocean-dwelling plants and animals. The decade-long quest to count and describe the species that live in the planet's oceans is considered by many to be one of the most ambitious and immense studies in the history of scientific inquiry.

The global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans.

The researchers completed more than 540 expeditions and spent roughly 9,000 days at sea in order to formulate the world's first, comprehensive catalog of aquatic lifeforms. Associated Press (AP) reported that the scientists successfully counted and validated a total of 201,206 different species, though the scientists who participated in the $650-plus million dollar project believe there are far more marine creatures out there yet to be officially recognized.

Among the wonders revealed by the census are the following findings:

-- The first animals known to spend their whole lives without oxygen. Rare creatures called loriciferans, they may resemble early life forms that thrived before Earth was rich in oxygen.

-- A new species of lobster that measures 20 inches long and weighs nearly 9 pounds. Finding such a huge and showy creature is "like finding a new species of bird in Europe," said marine ecologist Enric Sala, a member of the census steering committee.

-- A clam that was thought to be extinct until scientists stumbled across it near the coast of Colombia. The clam is a living fossil that thrived when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

--According to estimates, the biggest, fastest ocean hunters -- charismatic species such as whales, tuna and sharks -- have declined, on average, by nearly 90 percent in the past few centuries, because of over-hunting and habitat destruction. Also suffering are the microscopic creatures called plankton, which serve as the base of the food web and which are declining because of changing ocean temperatures.

Enric Sala, a marine ecologist and moderator of the press conference, said in a statement:

"The age of discovery is definitely not over, and for people who are searching for life on other planets, there's still a lot of work to do here," Sala said.

The event precedes a three-day conference during which many of the scientists involved in the census will present their findings.