Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
9.1 Introduction
While much of the ocean still remains to be explored, it is now known that it is extremely
rich in biological diversity, including organisms which are host to unique genetic resources.
While the exact number of marine species is unknown, scientists estimate that there
may be 0.7 to 1.0 million marine species, of which approximately 226,000 eukaryotic spe-
cies have been described (Appeltans
et al
.,
2012
). More species were described in the past
decade (
c
.20,000) than in any previous decade. It has been reported that there are approx-
imately 170,000 synonyms; that 58,000-72,000 species are collected but not yet described;
and that 482,000-741,000 more species have yet to be sampled. Molecular methods may
add tens of thousands of cryptic species. Thus, there may be 0.7-1.0 million marine species.
Past rates of description of new species indicate that there may be 0.5 ± 0.2 million marine
species. On average, 37% (median 31%) of species in over one hundred recent field studies
around the world might be new to science.
Thus, a very large proportion of marine species are yet to be discovered. It is thought
that these species live in remote and hard-to-reach environments, such as the deep sea and
the seabed, or are microscopic. In fact, the Census of Marine Life estimated that more than a
billion types of microbes might live in the oceans (Census of Marine Life,
2010
). One drop
of seawater may contain as many as 350,000 bacteria and other microorganisms (Knowlton,
Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines genetic resources
as genetic material of actual or potential value. Genetic material is defined as any material
of plant, animal, microbial, or other origin containing functional units of heredity. It follows
thatmarine genetic resources arematerial frommarine plants,animals, andmicrobial oroth-
er organisms, and parts thereof containing functional units of heredity of actual or potential
value. It is noteworthy that the 2010 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and
the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention
on Biological Diversity, which applies to genetic resources within the scope of Article 15 of
