New research led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and partner organizations yielded the first comprehensive global biodiversity map documenting the distribution of life both on land and in the ocean.
New research led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and partner organizations yielded the first comprehensive global biodiversity map documenting the distribution of life both on land and in the ocean.
The study published today in PLOS ONE offers the most complete picture available of where life occurs on Earth and what the most critical environmental factors are for determining why it’s in specific places. The study’s authors envision it providing a way to adapt management practices as climate change disrupts ecosystems across the planet.
“Maps typically show us where we are, but this study also shows us where we are going,” said Dr. Kyle Van Houtan, Monterey Bay Aquarium chief scientist and senior author. “Previous biodiversity maps show either land or sea with the other area grayed out. We brought these two realms, and these two scientific domains, together to show that all animals are essential parts of an intricate whole.”
Determining where species are most abundant, along with charting the patterns of their movements, represents one of the pillars of ecology. But for a long time, such studies have focused mostly on the terrestrial realm due to the greater accessibility and lower cost of sampling on land.
Read more at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Photo Credit: tpsdave via Pixabay
