Around 80% of biodiversity is not yet classified: Marine expert

Around 80 per cent of marine biodiversity is not yet classified and species are still unexplored in the Indian region, a leading international expert said on Thursday.

Gustav Paulay, curator of Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, urged Indian scientists to give equal importance to the study of the classification of marine species like other research activities.

Delivering a lecture on 'Reef Biodiversity: the Inside Story' at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) here, he said: "The biodiversity in the Indian region is yet to be studied and classified, compared to the Atlantic and Pacific regions where census of marine life is being conducted by the scientists.

He advised Indian scientists to lay emphasis on understanding the characteristics of many undescribed marine species in the Indian Ocean by intensifying research on taxonomy through molecular tools like DNA or meta barcoding.

Paulay, who specialises in reef biodiversity research, also pointed out that the conservation of coral reefs could be made more effective with combined efforts including the public and the scientists.

--IANS

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