Topic:

This talk will first challenge beliefs in: (1) how many species exist and remain to be named; (2) if there are more species in the ocean than on land, deep-sea than coastal, microscopic than macroscopic, and parasites than hosts; (3) taxonomic effort; and (4) whether marine species richness is highest in the tropics and peaking at the equator. I will show how biogeography across taxa and body sizes reflects species richness. New world maps of marine biogeographic realms based on endemicity, and how to use current data to map the best locations for Marine Protected Areas is illustrated for the Coral Triangle and the world. This knowledge informs conservation prioritisation, extinction risks and the effects of climate warming on biodiversity.

About our speaker

Mark Costello is an ecologist with a long-time interest in biogeography from local to global scales, particularly in marine and freshwater ecosystems. He has supervised over 50 MSc and PhD students, and published over 200 peer-reviewed papers.

This seminar was kindly sponsored by