Vampire Squid (vampyroteuthis) Credit: Kim Reisenbichler / MBARI
OVERVIEW OF U.S. CENSUS OF MARINE LIFE
The Census of Marine Life (CoML) is a broad global scientific initiative that supports research at the frontiers of our oceans: the hottest undersea vents, the deepest and darkest depths, the farthest animal migration patterns, and the richest species abundance. Census projects engage more than 2,700 scientists and ocean professionals from 80 countries. This global effort, coordinated by an international Scientific Steering Committee, is implemented by national and regional committees, including the U.S. National Committee (USNC). The USNC helps the overall Census to identify national and regional priorities, build partnerships, explore sources of funding, and promote the CoML to local audiences. The USNC is also working with Congress, federal agencies, the academic community, and private sector partners to establish a long-term, sustained program on marine biodiversity.
The mission of the U.S. CoML is to serve as an unbiased source of sound scientific information to support the needs of the nation by assessing and explaining the changing diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine species, as well as the functional role of marine biodiversity in the U.S. and its territories and commonwealths, in the past, present, and future.
RELATED LINKS:
Coming to Grips with a Watery World
(Click to enlarge) Copepod: This bizarre copepod has been found in deep water from the Angola Basin, to the southeastern Atlantic, to the central Pacific, puzzling scientists as to why they never before detected it. Ceratonotus steiningeri, Jan Michels.
With fanfare that even snared some attention outside scientific circles, the 10-year Census of Marine Life came to a conclusion Oct. 1. The headlines and self-congratulation were deserved: our “ocean planet” is predominantly covered with salt water, and the Census had strength in numbers: 2,700 scientists from more than 80 nations spent $650 million exploring life in salt water. Working in 25 groups, the scientists sifted and collated old data and performed new studies on 540 field expeditions.
(From The Why Files) — The Census also crafted the ground-breaking Ocean Biogeographic Information System. This public database contains 30 million records on more than 100,000 marine species, derived from new studies and about 800 existing databases that were harmonized for easy digital access (or so we’re told; we confess we’ve not looked up our favorite lobster in the database). Read the full story »
Message From Oceans Past: Good Management Helps Ocean Life to Recover
Experts convene Nov. 18-20, Dublin, Ireland for Oceans Past III Conference
Thousands of Discoveries in 10-Year Study of World’s Oceans
This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I’m Bob Doughty and I’m Faith Lapidus. Today, we will tell about a ten-year study of the world’s oceans. We will also tell about four American women who are being honored for their work in science.
Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) Project: 5 Questions for Principal Investigator Randy Kochevar
Britannica research editor Richard Pallardy posed some questions about the project to Randy Kochevar, principal investigator and public outreach coordinator for TOPP. Kochevar, who has in the past studied the organisms that live around hydrocarbon seeps and hydrothermal vents, was with the project from its inception.
Podcast – Wild and Crazy: A Worm Named Bob Marley and the Fish With a See-Through Head
In the oceans, Mother Nature continues to surprise and delight us with mesmerizing, jaw-dropping marine life that often wildly exceeds our imagination.
33 Utterly Strange Sea Animals
From alien-like isopods and vampire squid, to “fatheads” and the Dumbo octopus with flying ears, the Census of Marine Life exposed the strange creatures of the deep during its 10-year mission of discovery.
London News Conference
[ October 4, 2010 to October 7, 2010. ] The concluding News Conference and Panel Presentations will take place Monday, 4 October at The Royal Institution of Great Britain.
Loggerhead Challenge Sportsmanship Award Named for Dr. Wes Tunnell
Finally, it was recently announced that Dr. Wes Tunnell, Vice Chair of the US National Committee, was honored by Texas Sea Grant when they announced that their Loggerhead Sportsmanship Award will be named after him.
Marine Scientists Return With Rare Creatures From the Deep
The Mid Atlantic Ridge Ecosystems (MAR-ECO) project of the Census of Marine Life recently returned from an expedition focused on the cold waters north of the Gulf Stream and the warmer waters to the south.
Follow Us
 3452 Followers  2227 Fans  2 Readers  Subscribe |
Upcoming Events
- No events.
What's Hot This Month
33 Utterly Strange Sea Animals: From alien-like isopods and vampire squid, to "fatheads" and the Dumbo octopus with flying ears, the Census of Marine Li... - Thousands of Discoveries in 10-Year Study of World’s Oceans: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I’m Bob Doughty and I’m Faith Lapidus. Today, we will tell about a ...
- Message From Oceans Past: Good Management Helps Ocean Life to Recover: Experts convene Nov. 18-20, Dublin, Ireland for Oceans Past III Conference...
- Marine Scientists Return With Rare Creatures From the Deep: The Mid Atlantic Ridge Ecosystems (MAR-ECO) project of the Census of Marine Life recently returned from an expedition fo...
- The Deep Sea World Beyond Sunlight: Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea speci...
- London News Conference: The concluding News Conference and Panel Presentations will take place Monday, 4 October at The Royal Institution of Gre...
- CoML Explorers Find Hundreds of Identical Species Thrive in Both the Arctic and Antarctic: ArcOD (Arctic Ocean Diversity) and CAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life) researchers are startled to find the Polar oce...
- CoML and Ocean Layer in Google Earth Bring Ocean Information to Life: Ocean in Google Earth, which enables user to dive beneath the surface of the sea and explore the world’s oceans, was lau...
- Sylvia Earle, CoML USNC Member, Receives TED Award and Makes Wish: Census of Marine Life U.S. National Committee (USNC) member and ocean advocate Sylvia Earle was awarded the prestigious ...
- Podcast – Wild and Crazy: A Worm Named Bob Marley and the Fish With a See-Through Head: In the oceans, Mother Nature continues to surprise and delight us with mesmerizing, jaw-dropping marine life that often ...
Recent Posts
- Coming to Grips with a Watery World
- Message From Oceans Past: Good Management Helps Ocean Life to Recover
- Thousands of Discoveries in 10-Year Study of World’s Oceans
- Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) Project: 5 Questions for Principal Investigator Randy Kochevar
- Podcast – Wild and Crazy: A Worm Named Bob Marley and the Fish With a See-Through Head
Latest from Ocean Leadership
- ONW: Week of May 14, 2012 – Number 164
- From the President’s Office – 5/17/2012
- NOAA, BOEM: Historic, 19th Century Shipwreck Discovered in Northern Gulf of Mexico
- First Satellite Tag Study for Manta Rays Reveals Habits and Hidden Journeys of Ocean Giants
- Antarctic Octopus Study Shows West Antarctic Ice Sheet May Have Collapsed 200,000 Years Ago
Latest from ScienceDaily
- Newfound exoplanet may turn to dust: Planet’s dust cloud may explain strange patterns of light from its star
- Functional coatings from the plasma nozzle
- 'Rare' genetic variants are surprisingly common, life scientists report
- Attraction or repulsion? New method predicts interaction energy of large molecules
- How exercise affects the brain: Age and genetics play a role