OUR efforts to conserve the oceans lag 100 years behind those designed to protect plants and animals on land. While over a tenth of the Earth’s land surface lies within national parks, less than one per cent of coastal zones are protected. And the “high seas” enjoy virtually no protection at all.
The stark message comes from the organisers of the most audacious attempt yet to document the diversity of marine life. The 10-year Census of Marine Life (CoML) aims to identify the marine equivalents of land-based biodiversity hotspots such as the Amazon rainforest. Scientists hope this will help policy…
