Hundreds of new species discovered in coral reefs in Australia (Part II)

Hundreds of new species have surprised international researchers who are exploring the waters of the two islands of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs in northwestern Australia, while the two seas have long been familiar. belong to divers.

Vulture of the sea

The discovery of many different isometric animals also makes researchers excited, they are often considered vultures of the sea because some species eat dead fish.

Among the many cuckoo species collected during the first two expeditions, about 100 species have not been scientifically named.

Some cuckoo species live parasites, they bury themselves in the flesh of raw fish. The majority of unknown parasitic episodes of the cymothoid family are known as 'tongue-eaters'. They have such a name because they penetrate the fish and corrode its tongue. They basically replace the host's tongue by clinging to the host's mouth.

There are still many discoveries

Other major findings include a variety of polychaete worms, a group of marine animals called 'hard hair worms' , and a relative of earthworms and leeches. About two-thirds of the species found in Lizard Island are specifically thought to be new species.

Scientists also studied seaweed, sea urchins and strip coral. The biliary flora, commonly known as Bryozoan, consists of individuals that reproduce by asexual bud, thus being genetically identical. The coral population forms a complex structure and is not identical to the structure of each individual.

Scientist Ron O'Dor said: 'Surprisingly, colorful corals and coral reef fishes disguise themselves in front of divers, but we have witnessed abundance. fever in the undersea world. Hundreds of thousands of life forms are still waiting to be discovered. '

"Knowledge of ocean diversity is very important at many levels, which may be related to human health. Perhaps one of these organisms is extremely valuable to them. I '.

According to Dr. Nancy Knowlton of the Smithosonian Institute, Washington: 'The expedition in Australia revealed our understanding of the number of species living in coral reefs worldwide. Species boundaries are estimated to expand from one million to 9 million species'.


The animals are cynical with the nickname 'vulture of the sea' parasitic on fish. (Photo: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov)

Dr. O'Dor added: 'Even at the lower limit, we need to wonder why nature evolved to such a large variety of coral reefs. While species are a symbol of diversity, the process of generating and maintaining coral diversity is still unknown. '

The animals are cynical with the nickname 'vulture of the sea' parasitic on fish.(Photo: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov)

The expedition

Each expedition (expedition to Lizard Island from April 2-22, expedition to Ningaloo Reef from June 5 to 25, and Heron Island from August 25 to September 14) lasted three week with 25 members.

They have applied methods of sampling and application in many different habitats, including sampling the diversity of dead coral - which is the empty skeleton of corals that once had organisms equal to flesh skin in it. The coral skeleton is encased in the bag and carefully carve the base to be able to observe all the animals that live in it. A dead coral skeleton can contain over 150 different crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms. Worldwide coral bone is home to thousands of species of organisms, they are an important tool to assess coral biodiversity.

With ARMS devices, the collection and analysis of diversity in coral skeletons has been standardized to serve the comparative research process worldwide.

Funding for the study includes: BHP Billiton (multinational resource group), Great Barrier Coral Foundation, Marine Biological Survey, AIMS directs international coral reef projects in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Biological Resources also sponsors post-exploratory classification work, including DNA barcode technology with the support of Barcode of Life.

The study also received warm support from many partners. Leading by AIMS - a group of research institutes including Australian Museum, Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery, Victoria Museum, Queesland Museum, South Australia Museum, Western Australian Museum, University of Adelaide, Greater Murdoch, South Australian Model Room, and Smithsonian Institute.

Survey of coral reef ecosystems

The Australian expedition is part of a global Creefs survey of coral reefs and is one of 17 marine life survey projects.

Coral reefs are home to extremely threatened biodiversity which is considered 'rain forest of the sea' . But we only know very little about the ocean's diversity compared to terrestrial habitats.

The main focal points of coral reef surveys in Australia include:

How many species live in coral reefs?

How many species are endemic to coral reefs?

How does diversity respond to human disturbance?

A survey of coral reefs was conducted by the AIMS scientists, the Smithsonian Institution, and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The survey aims to investigate the life in coral reef ecosystems to consolidate and improve information about the scattered reefs around the world, thereby enhancing knowledge of tropical classification.