Cornucopia of coral life discovered
Soft corals among hundreds of new animal species discovered
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Friday, 19, Sep 2008 09:25
Hundreds of animal species previously never seen by humans have been discovered by scientists off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Researchers stumbled upon 300 new soft coral species – half of them entirely new to science – and scores of weird and wonderful creatures during four years of diving off two islands on the reef.
The Census of Marine Life (CoML)-affiliated research is the first to document octocorals – named after the eight tentacles that fringe each polyp – at the Lizard and Heron Islands.
New crustacean species, including shrimp-like animals with claws longer than their bodies and amphipods – the insects of the marine world – were also discovered for the first time.
"Amazingly colourful corals and fishes on reefs have long dazzled divers, but our eyes are just opening to the astonishing richness of other life forms in these habitats," said CoML scientist Ron O'Dor.
"Hundreds of thousands of forms of life remain to be discovered. Knowledge of this ocean diversity matters on many levels, including possibly human health – one of these creatures may have properties of enormous value to humanity."
Conservationists have warned the fantastic discoveries could be at risk unless threats to the Great Barrier Reef's existence are taken seriously.
"Corals face threats ranging from ocean acidification, pollution, and warming to over-fishing and starfish outbreaks," said Dr Ian Poiner, chief executive officer of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).
"Only by establishing a baseline of biodiversity and following through with later censuses can people know the impact of those threats and find clues to mitigate them."