On May 22nd 2012, countries from around the world will celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), an annual event aimed at increasing our understanding and awareness of the world’s biodiversity.
A Marine Theme
This year’s theme – ‘Marine Biodiversity’ – provides a fantastic opportunity to raise global awareness of the many issues facing the world’s marine ecosystems, and to encourage practical action to protect and conserve them.
From tropical oceans and coral reefs, to deep-sea vents and the ice-strewn waters of the Arctic and Antarctic, marine ecosystems are hugely diverse. Current estimates of the total number of known marine species range from 250,000 to at least a million, with some scientists believing that the actual figure could be twice as high.
With life in the oceans so incredibly diverse, picking out even a handful of our favourite marine images poses a tough challenge, but we’ve dipped into our ocean imagery to share some of our biggest catches…
The whale shark is the world’s largest fish, growing up to a staggering 12 metres long and weighing around 12,500 kilograms. Despite their huge size, whale sharks feed almost entirely by filter-feeding on plankton and small fish.
One of the most widespread of all the marine turtles, the loggerhead turtle is also the most highly migratory, with some individuals having been known to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Nautiluses are often considered “living fossils”, having survived relatively unchanged for millions of years. They are found only in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, where they inhabit the deep slopes of coral reefs.
Blue rice coral
The blue rice coral is endemic to Hawaii. Like many other reef-building corals, the blue rice coral is threatened by factors such as bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures, as well as by disease, destructive fishing methods and invasive species.
The smallest marine mammal in the world, the adorable sea otter relies on its fur to keep warm in the water. The sea otter’s coat is the densest of any mammal, consisting of around 100,000 hairs per cm²!
Explore more marine species on ARKive.
Helen Roddis, ARKive Species Text Author