Update on marine benthic invertebrate biodiversity in South Africa (IMAGE)
Caption
South Africa’s marine biodiversity extends far beyond its iconic whales, sharks and reef fish. A new assessment of South Africa’s marine benthic invertebrate biodiversity has documented more than 1,000 additional invertebrate species since 2010, including sponges, corals, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, and worms. This brings the country’s known marine diversity to more than 14,000 species. The study highlights the importance of taxonomy, natural history collections, and DNA-based approaches for discovering and documenting marine biodiversity, while revealing how much remains to be discovered beneath South Africa’s waters.
Credit
Kathryn Morrissey & Lara Atkinson
Usage Restrictions
None
License
Original content