Media release - 29
September 2009 - Environment Minister Peter
Garrett today released the only report in
the world to document the planet's known
animal and plant species - all 1,899,587
of them.
"This work by Australian
scientists, which has been praised by internationally
acclaimed naturalist Sir David Attenborough,
is a fantastic contribution to the global
fight to conserve biodiversity," Mr
Garrett said.
"It also gives
us new insight into how valuable Australia's
plants and animals are, revealing we have
even more unique mammals, reptiles and plants
than we previously had thought.
"For example, the
figures in this report, updated for the
first time in 20 years, show 87 per cent
of our mammals and 93 per cent of our reptiles
are found nowhere else in the world.
"The report shows
that the science of species discovery is
alive and well - in the past three years
in Australia, we've discovered 48 reptiles,
eight frogs, eight mammals, 1,184 flowering
plants and 904 spiders, mites and scorpions.
"But we have a
long way to go - we have discovered and
named only about a quarter of Australia's
estimated number of flora and fauna. We
need this essential information to do a
better job of managing our biodiversity
against the threats of invasive species,
habitat loss and climate change.
Mr Garrett announced
a new $1.2 million partnership between the
report's publishers, the Australian Biological
Resources Study, and BHP Billiton to name
and describe 500 reef species over the next
three years.
"This is a great
partnership between government and industry
to build our scientific knowledge, "
Mr Garrett said.
"This work will
add value to the CReefs project, a four-year
quest to discover new species at three Australian
tropical reefs: Heron and Lizard Islands
on the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef
in Western Australia," Mr Garrett said.
"The Australian
Institute of Marine Science is leading the
species discovery, BHP Billiton is funding
the expeditions, and the Australian Government
and BHP are each contributing $600,000 over
three years to ensure the discovered species
are named and described. Cash and in-kind
contributions from the grantees takes the
total investment to $2.7 million."
To download a copy of
the Numbers of Living Species in Australia
and the World report visit: www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/index.html
Attachment 1: Statement
from Sir David Attenborough on Numbers of
Living Species
Attachment 2: Details
on scientists funded by ABRS and BHP Billiton
or visit www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/funding-and-research/creefs-grants/index.html
Attachment 1
Statement from Sir David Attenborough on
Numbers of Living Species in Australia and
the World
‘The identification and naming of species
is the very foundation of the natural sciences.
Unless we can be certain of exactly what
organism we are considering, we cannot protect
it, still less understand it. Listing species
is the beginning of that essential process.
So this report will provide a crucial reference
point for all those who are acting to protect
our planet for future generations. I congratulate
all those involved in producing it.'
25 September 2009.
Attachment 2
Details on scientists funded by ABRS and
BHP Billiton
Dr John Hooper, Queensland Museum ($90,000
p.a.) – octocorals (soft corals)
Octocorals provide pivotal
ecological services, removing significant
wastes from the ecosystem. They have also
a demonstrated economic value, as sources
of new bioactive compounds with potential
therapeutic applications. Dr Hooper and
his team have collected around 300 octocoral
species so far, with a large number of new
species amongst these to be described. With
participation in future CReefs expeditions,
this number may eventually exceed 500 species.
Dr Rob Adlard, Queensland
Museum ($90,000 p.a.) – coral reef fish
parasites
Fish parasites (e.g.
flatworms, tapeworms) represent at least
one-third of the total animal diversity
of coral reef ecosystems, but are a rarely-seen,
cryptic component. These infections pose
significant challenges in the commercial
fishing sector and are also of concern for
Australia’s biosecurity. Dr Adlard will
collect 20 species of previously unexplored
fish, resulting in about 50 new species
of parasites.
Dr Niel Bruce, Museum
of Tropical Queensland ($70,000 p.a.) –
isopods (crustacean)
Marine isopods are known
as the ‘vultures of the sea’ and perform
and important role vacuum cleaning the seabed.
Dr Bruce aims to describe 35-50 new species
and redescribe 8-10 genera.
Dr Pat Hutchings, Australian
Museum ($90,000 p.a.) – polychaetes (marine
worms)
Marine worms play an
important role in bio-erosion of reefs,
providing a food supply for many organisms,
recycle nutrients and breakdown organic
matter. Dr Hutchings will describe at least
20 new species and new records, and 1 or
2 two new genera.
Dr Carlos (Fred) Gurgel,
University of Adelaide ($70,000 p.a.) –
algae
Marine macroalgae are
one of the most important organisms in coral
reefs. Dr Gurgel and his team will describe
about 150 species of red algae.
