Marine invasive species advance 50 km per decade, World Conference on Marine Biodive...(remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and aut...)

Date:11/11/2008

remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and autonomous vehicles (AUV). One of the coordinators of the deep sea program in Spain, CSIC researcher Eva Ramrez, is studying the hydrothermal vents which, discovered in 1977, are one of the principal discoveries of modern oceanography. These submarine volcanoes sustain high densities of fauna which, with specific adaptations, live independently of solar energy.

"Since their discovery, more than 500 hydrothermic vent-species have been described, most endemic, as well as 200 cold water seep species and 400 morphological species of chemosynthethic ecosystems which form on the carcasses of whales," points out Ramirez.

For instance, on the mud volcanoes in the Cadiz gulf 13 new species of polychaetes (marine worms) are described as well as a new genus, Bobmarkeya that, due to his characteristic appearance, owes his name to Bob Marley.

During the Conference, the result of collaboration between more than 160 expert taxonomists on the identification and description of marine species will be presented. Their goal: To complete a database before 2010 which describes all known marine life -- a world registry of marine species.

The Census of Marine Life, a collaboration of 2000 scientists in 82 nations, is also participating in the conference.

Juan Carlos Castilla, the scientific director of the International Laboratory on Global Change, of the CSIC and the Pontificia Universidad Catlica, will present his alternative to protected marine reserves. This focuses on units of fishery management, based in administrative concessions to cooperatives of fishermen who evaluate the sustainability of ecosystems. The responsibilities of these collectives have been more efficient to maintain the ecosystems than traditional marine protected areas, Castilla says. He explains that "as there is no private property in the sea, all being common property, none of the actors involved in exploitation take responsabil
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Contact: M. Angeles Alastuey malastuey@dicv.csic.es 34-627-763-735 Census of Marine Life Source:Eurekalert

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