Much of Earth is unexplored. An ocean census (普查) hopes to change that.
"Earth" has always been an odd choice of name for the third planet from the Sun. After all, two-thirds of its surface is covered not by earth at all, but by oceans of water.
Because humans are land animals, most of the Earth remains under-explored. Marine (海洋的) biologists think the oceans might host more than 2 million species of marine animals, of which they have so far identified perhaps a tenth.
A new initiative hopes to change this. Launched in London on April 27th, Ocean Census aims to discover 100, 000 new species of marine animal over the coming decade. It is backed by Nekton, a British marine-research institute, and the Nippon foundation, Japan's biggest charitable foundation. Its first ship, the Norwegian icebreaker Kronprins Haakon, set sail on April 29th, bound for the Barents Sea.
The initiative is happening for two reasons. One is that the longer scientists wait, the less there will be to identify. Climate change is heating the oceans, as well as making them more acidic (酸的) as carbon dioxide dissolves goes into the water. Already around half the world's coral reefs (珊瑚)—thought to be home to around 25% of all ocean species—have been lost. Oliver Steeds, Nekton's founder, says that one of Ocean Census's priorities will be identifying species thought to be in the greatest danger from climate change. The second reason is technological. Marine biologist s find about 2, 000 new species a year, a rate hardly changed since Darwin's day. Ocean Census is betting it can go faster.
Exactly what the new effort might turn up is impossible to predict. But history suggests it will be fruitful. Half a century ago scientists discovered hot vents (喷口) on the sea bed. These days, such vents are one possible candidate for the origin of all life on Earth. There are more practical benefits, too. Many drugs, for example, come originally from biological substance. An ocean full of unidentified life will almost certainly prove a rich mine from which to mine more.
