New Zealand dolphins, also known as Hector’s dolphins, are fascinating and beautiful animals. Found only in New Zealand waters, they are as ‘kiwi’ as the kiwi but their numbers are under threat – especially from human fishing activities.

This book introduces the dolphin to readers of all ages. Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson began their study in 1984. In the 1990s they sold their house to buy a catamaran to carry out a dolphin survey.

They were determined to make the latest information about these creatures accessible to a general public.

“There is a lot of literature on New Zealand dolphins but most of it is in scientific journals,” says Liz. “This book ‘translates’ all of this information into a format that is user friendly, interesting and exciting.”

The authors have intensively studied the dolphin’s distribution, behaviour, biology, reproduction and communication, using photography as their principal research tool.

They pull no punches on conservation questions. Early on in their research they realised that dolphin numbers are not sustainable under current fishing practices. Says Liz, “The last section of the book provides suggestions for effective dolphin protection measures and encourages readers to get actively involved. This part of the book will be controversial in some circles but very popular in other circles.”

The authors’ passion for science – and for the New Zealand dolphin – is obvious and contagious.

“We have tried to make it clear that science is a fascinating, curiosity-driven activity. We did not want to produce ‘a book of facts’.”

About the authors
Liz Slooten is an associate professor in Zoology at the University of Otago. She researches and publishes on reproductive and population biology, population viability analysis, impact of fisheries on marine mammals, marine conservation biology and marine mammal biology.

Steve Dawson is a professor in Marine Science at the University of Otago. He researches and publishes on conservation biology of marine mammals, incidental catch of marine mammals in fisheries, acoustic behaviour and communication in cetaceans, and line-transect surveys for inshore cetaceans.

Their joint dolphin studies led directly to the establishment of the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary. When they first moved to Otago University they shared a temporary position, which evolved into two full-time lectureships, Liz in Zoology, Steve in Marine Science. Their research on New Zealand dolphins is now one of the longest running dolphin studies worldwide, and has involved many graduate students. Both are members of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group and regularly advise government.

Liz especially has played a strong role representing New Zealand at the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission. They are both trustees of the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust. In 2004 Liz and Steve were jointly awarded the New Zealand Royal Society’s Sir Charles Fleming Award for outstanding contribution to conservation science.

Now that autumn’s arrived butterfly lovers around New Zealand are tagging Monarch butterflies. And in a few weeks they’ll hear from a USA scientist how tagging is helping prisoners in a Washington State Penitentiary.

Associate Professor David James, from Washington State University will stress the importance of tagging Monarchs at the conference of the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust at Unitec, Mt Albert, on 16 and 17 March, explaining how inmates from Washington penitentiaries are helping.

Monarchs typically form large clusters, sometimes with hundreds or thousands of butterflies, to survive the colder winter months. In New Zealand many of these sites are unknown;  in North West America Monarchs overwinter on the Californian coast. The Sustainability in Prisons project has teamed up inmates, prison staff and scientists to help restore endangered species and habitats.

The inmates raise Monarch butterflies from eggs in their cells, tag them – and then James releases them into the outdoors.

“It’s been a really exciting programme and has had a positive impact, says Associate Superintendent Chris Bowman. “Our goal is to give the inmates something to look forward to when they wake up in the morning.”

“From a mental health standpoint this has been very beneficial for the inmates,” said Tamara Russell, clinical director of Washington State Penitentiary’s Residential Mental Health Unit. "We know that having an activity that allows inmates to give back to the community helps alleviate depression from long-term incarceration. It gives them a focus and a purpose for their lives. They're involved in something bigger than themselves that has meaning.”

And James is thrilled.

“Last November I had a report of one of our Washington State reared and released Monarchs resighted on 30 October in a home garden in Bolinas, California,” he said. “This female was tagged and released on 17 September in Yakima, Washington – a distance of about 1000 kilometres (620 miles).

In New Zealand the longest distance reported has been a Monarch which flew from Pukawa Bay, near Turangi and was seen alive and well three weeks later at Whangarei, some 400 kilometres away.

Even though the Monarchs are sexually mature, it isn’t until the onset of spring that mating and breeding is triggered.

Over the autumn and winter tiny, white tags are applied to the hindwing of each Monarch. Each tag bears the Trust’s website address and a unique number, but are virtually weightless.

Butterflies are uniquely placed to act as indicators of environmental change.

“The status of our flora and fauna depends on the effects of environmental conditions on our natural world,” said Jacqui Knight, Secretary of the Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust. “Such things as pollution, climate change, alien species and land management all change our world. We need to know more about our insects to predict the impacts of such change, and to develop an appropriate response.”

“By tagging and following Monarchs we can use them as indicators of the status of our environment here in NZ,” she said. “They are large and colourful and easy to see.”

There will be a lot to learn at the conference and the event is raising considerable excitement among teachers, gardeners and conservation-minded people.

More information needed is on the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust website: www.monarch.org.nz.

Researchers are elated to find the sparrow-sized New Zealand storm petrel, thought extinct until 2003, is breeding on Little Barrier Island Hauturu in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. The team of researchers is led by Chris Gaskin and Dr. Matt Rayner from the University of Auckland.

The seabird is listed as critically endangered by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature and finding the breeding site is vital for their conservation.

Three specimens of the diminutive 35g seabirds were collected off New Zealand in the 1800s and are held by museums overseas.  Since its rediscovery, there has been speculation as to where this seabird breeds.

The team camped on the Poor Knights Islands, Mokohinau Islands and Little Barrier Island using radio receivers to zero in on the breeding site.

“It’s like looking for a needle in the haystack,” said Chris Gaskin. A critical breakthrough came last year when the project team found brood (incubation) patches on birds caught at sea. This determined the timing of incubation in New Zealand storm petrel, the best time to find breeding birds on land.

This year, 24 birds were caught at sea using specially designed net guns and small 1g radio transmitters were fitted to each bird.  Automated receivers narrowed down the search. Team members, based at a remote camp on the north coast of the Little Barrier Island, using handheld receivers and spotlights, confirmed that birds were coming ashore under the cover of darkness and moving inland. This prompted moving the search area. Then, when a signal was picked up of a bird stationary in forest at night, team members were able to get a clear fix on where that site was.

Dr. Rayner says: “The site being monitored is very fragile and with birds at a delicate stage in their breeding cycle. We are using automated equipment for the most part and maintaining a hands-off approach, although team members visiting the vicinity have also been keeping watch.”

“On Friday morning a bird was discovered on the ground, possibly having just left its burrow. At the same time team members detected another bird, this one most probably on a nest,” said Chris Gaskin. “It’s an amazing result for our enthusiastic and dedicated team.”

Members of the research team will remain on the island over the coming weeks. Aerial surveys are also being used to try and establish the distribution and size of the population.

The Hauraki Gulf Forum is about to publish a Hauraki Gulf seabird management strategy and research plan drawing on the work of Chris Gaskin and Dr. Rayner and New Zealand and international collaborators.

Chair of the Hauraki Gulf Forum, John Tregidga, said locating the breeding ground was internationally significant and further highlighted the importance of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park as a globally significant biodiversity hotspot.

Dr Rayner, a Little Barrier Island trustee, said the discovery reiterated the importance of careful management of conservation jewels, such as Little Barrier Island and surrounding marine environments.

The project has been funded this year by grants from Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Birdlife International Community Conservation Fund, The Little Barrier Island Hauturu Supporters Trust and ASB Trust, Auckland Council, Forest & Bird Central Auckland Branch and Peter Harrison/Zegrahm Expeditions, with further support from the Department of Conservation, Hauraki Gulf Forum and Landcare Research.

Notes to the editor:

Chris Gaskin is a seabird researcher and advocate. He is currently contracted to Forest & Bird/BirdLife International coordinating the Important Bird Area Programme (IBA) in New Zealand (part of a global programme). chris.gaskin@xtra.co.nz 09 422 6868

Dr Matt Rayner is a behavioural and conservation ecologist based at the University of Auckland.  His research, focusing on understanding the biology of endangered seabirds, has received international recognition. m.rayner@auckland.ac.nz  027 618 1885

Chicks that stock up on their five-a-day outshine their love rivals in later life, a new study shows.

Published today by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and University of Cambridge, the study reveals that male hihi birds develop more colourful and attractive breeding feathers if they receive a nest diet rich in carotenoids – natural pigments found mainly in fruit and vegetables.

Scientists looked at the effects of newborn nutrition on male plumage in the rare New Zealand hihi (Notiomystis concta) over the course of a year. The paper was published in Proceedings of The Royal Society B.

ZSL and University of Cambridge PhD student Leila Walker says: “We first hand-fed baby hihi birds either a carotenoid supplement - natural pigments used to colour yellow, orange and red - or a more complete dietary supplement. Then we looked at the effect this had on male breeding feather colour once those chicks had grown and moulted into their adult plumage.”

All nestlings initially develop female-like plumage and fledge at around one month old. Youngsters then moult their body feathers at about four months old, during which time the males obtain their breeding features. Colourful plumage is an important factor in a bird’s breeding success as it demonstrates the strong health of a bird to females.

ZSL Research Fellow Dr. John Ewen says: “We saw that nestlings receiving more carotenoids were brighter as adults. This was a combined result of the carotenoid-rich dietary supplement they received, and the carotenoids they obtained as part of a natural diet fed to them by their parents.”

Research on hihi has highlighted how sensitive an individual’s life is to experiences faced as a nestling. Scientists are now gaining an idea of the information content of different plumage ornaments used in breeding. The next steps will be to manipulate these signals in adult birds to further test the effects on mating success.

Almost all wild hihi populations require conservation support in terms of food supplementation. ZSL will continue to work on narrowing down on a diet that produces the most, and best quality, offspring to help rebuild high numbers of this most brightly coloured of New Zealand birds.

Hihi bird behavioural ecology

Hihi are a sexually dimorphic species with extreme mating behaviours (including forced face-to-face copulations unique in the bird world) resulting in intense competition to reproduce. ZSL and collaborators continue to study these behaviours to learn more about the varied mating strategies individuals adopt, how these translate into fitness and the demographic consequences this has for hihi populations.

ZSL scientists will continue to research the possible trade-off between investing carotenoids (dietary biochemicals) in self maintenance (carotenoids act as antioxidants and are important in the immune system) versus investment in signals (male plumage pigments and nestling mouth colour) and reproduction (female investment in egg yolk). For more information please visit: http://www.zsl.org/conservation/species/birds/

http://www.hihiconservation.com/

The birth of not one, not two but three rare Nepalese pandas has thrilled keepers at Hamilton Zoo.

The three boys, yet to be named, were an early Christmas present for the Zoo and were born on 20 December 2012.

The birth of the triplets has doubled the number of red pandas to the Zoo, taking the total up to six – mother Tayla, Father Chito and big brother Ketu who was born at the zoo in 2010.

Now seven weeks old, the three cubs are doing well and mother Tayla is doing an exceptional job.

For Zoo Curator Sam Kudeweh, the birth of the triplets late last year was great news however seeing them progress is even better.

“Red panda cubs are slow to develop so the first months are really crucial. We have been undertaking regular weigh ins with the cubs so that we can keep an eye on their progress – but need to balance this with a hands off approach as much as possible so we can leave mum Tayla to look after her cubs.”

The cubs were first weighed at 19 days old, when they were around 225 grams.  They have now increased to a weight of around 400grams – nearly as heavy as a can of baked beans.

The cubs are currently in the den with their mother, where they are expected to spend up to around three months before venturing out to the public space.

For Ms Kudeweh, the birth of the pandas is really important for Hamilton Zoo.

“Red pandas are one of the few species with a global captive breeding programme, which Hamilton Zoo is proud to be part of. We are really pleased to be able to contribute to the survival of the species with this breeding opportunity,” she said.

About red pandas
Looking more like a racoon than a giant panda, the red panda has striking chestnut fur, bellies and limbs are black, a bushy, striped tail and a white face. They are a lot smaller than giant pandas, only reaching 50-60cm in body length and weighing 3-5kg.

Red pandas are found throughout the Himalayan ranges, in Western China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and India. They live in the same habitat as the giant panda, with both species having evolved to almost exclusively eat bamboo leaves and occasionally fruit, small animals, eggs and roots.

Classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN, the population of red pandas is thought to be less than 10,000 and decreasing. Deforestation and habitat fragmentation are the main threats to the survival of the species, and poaching for their beautiful fur is a major problem in China, where pelts have cultural significance.

Video footage

Three videos of the Red Pandas are available:
 

&feature=youtu.be">Baby Red Pandas just after their birth in December 2012
&feature=youtu.be">Red Panda cubs playing in their den, February 2013

&feature=youtu.be">One of the Red Panda cubs being weighed, February 2013

The moth plant has added ‘butterfly killer’ to a resume that has already earned it the dubious distinction of being one of the region’s most unwanted pest plants and a reputation as a weed local biosecurity experts love to hate.

Sara Brill, a biosecurity officer for the Northland Regional Council, says moth plant (Araujia sericifera) is a highly invasive and toxic vine ranked among Northland’s top five non-pastoral climbing pest plants.

“It invades and smothers native forest areas, garden shrubs, shelterbelt trees and roadside plants and its milky, sticky sap can also cause skin irritation and ill health.”

However, Ms Brill says as if there weren’t already enough reasons to heartily dislike moth plant, its flowers can also fatally trap the Monarch butterflies many Northlanders love to see around their neighbourhoods.

She says moth plants are just one of a host of dangers Monarchs face, which begin when they emerge from eggs as caterpillars.

“They’re often taken away by ravaging wasps carrying them off to feed their babies.”

Ms Brill says those caterpillars which survive wasps and other perils long enough to turn into butterflies then look around for flowers and nectar for food.

“The moth plant - or perhaps more aptly named ‘cruel plant’ as it is sometimes known - has masses of lovely flowers full of nectar at the moment.  Unfortunately, what the unsuspecting butterfly doesn’t know is that this nectar is so sticky it will trap the butterfly’s tongue and it can’t get away.”

Ms Brill says the trapped butterflies often die with their tongues firmly stuck in the flower and she and a colleague had recently come across a relatively small moth plant in Whangarei that held a number of dead Monarchs trapped in its flowers.

The plant is common throughout Northland and is easily recognised by its climbing vine, with paired, oblong leaves and distinctive small, clustered white flowers which develop into choko-like seedpods. It has a white, sticky sap.

She says people keen to get rid of moth plants can remove small infestations by hand.

“Seedlings are easy to pull but even large plants can be easily killed by finding the main root and pulling out about 5cm of the root.  The plant will wilt within 24 hours and you can see if you have missed any smaller ones.  Pull them out on public land when you see them and offer to pull out your neighbours’ moth plants as well!”

Ms Brill says large infestations may need to be over-sprayed using 5g metsulfuron methyl (for example Escort®) plus 10 ml penetrant in 10 litres of water.

“Ensure only the foliage is treated as this herbicide can transfer in the soil and kill surrounding plants, including natives.”
   
Those keen to help butterflies can also plant environmentally species that are good safe sources of food for them including Alyssum, bee balm, Cosmos, Echinacea, lavender, marigolds (single petal varieties), Michaelmas daisy, Mexican sunflower, Rudbeckia, Shasta daisy, snapdragon, Solidago, sweet William, sunflower, Verbena and Zinnia.

For more information about pest animals or plants in your back yard contact the Northland Regional Council on 0800 002 004 and ask to speak to a biosecurity officer or visit www.nrc.govt.nz/nasties

Two aquatic weeds, hornwort and egeria densa, have been found for the first time in Rotorua's Lake Rotomā - inside Bay of Plenty Regional Council's weed cordon.

The two weeds were found by summer students who were working for the Regional Council at Lake Rotomā advising boaties about checking and cleaning boats of any weed fragments before they enter the water.

Regional Council General Manager of Natural Resource Operations, Warwick Murray, said he was disappointed the weeds had turned up in the lake but pleased that the weed cordon was working to keeping aquatic weeds out of the lake.

Weed cordons that trap weed fragments have been installed on four lakes. Rotomā and Ōkataina have two each, and Ōkāreka and Rotoehu each have one cordon. They are a first in the world, and are successfully preventing weeds spreading into lakes from boats and equipment.

"It's a timely reminder of how important it is to clean, check and dry boats, trailers and anchor wells before you leave a lake to make sure you don't carry unwanted hitchhikers into another lake. There are signs up at all Rotomā boat ramps reminding boaties to check, clean and dry their equipment, not just let the weed cordon do the job for them," Mr Murray said.

"Rotomā is a very beautiful lake, and has been free of these weeds that are already in nearby lakes. Lake Rotoehu has hornwort in abundance. The weed cordons are a stopgap against laziness, ignorance and oversight, but it is the responsibility of all boat owners and users to ensure these lakes remain weed-free."

He said the Regional Council had done extensive checks and had not found any sign of the two weeds in the rest of the lake so he was hopeful the cordon had done its job. The lake would be monitored for the next five weeks to ensure the weed had not established elsewhere.

Hornwort and egeria densa are 'containment pests' - weeds which cannot be eradicated from the region but need to be contained to limit their impact on other lakes. They are banned from sale, propagation and distribution throughout New Zealand. The two plants are very distinctive and different from the native species lagarosiphon major, which is already in Lake Rotomā.

In March 2010 hornwort was found in Lake Ōkataina, and was suspected to be in Lake Ōkāreka last summer, but due to an infestation of egeria densa, the extent of the spread could not be measured.

Mr Murray said 85 percent of people interviewed last summer around the Rotorua lakes had a high level of interest in aquatic pest issues, and 45 percent checked and cleaned their boats before moving to another lake.

At Lake Rotomā this summer, 51 percent of people interviewed were unaware or had a low awareness of aquatic weed issues, but 49 percent said they had a moderate or high awareness.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the Government has accepted Environment Canterbury’s recommendation to change the water conservation order that covers the Rakaia River.

The change will allow TrustPower to release water from Lake Coleridge for irrigation when the river is low, increasing the reliability of the water supply.

“Environment Canterbury’s report and recommendation is a good example of both environmental considerations and the needs of the farming community being taken into account,” Mr Brownlee says.

Electricity generator TrustPower applied to the Minister for the Environment to change the National Water Conservation (Rakaia River) Order 1988.  The application was referred to Environment Canterbury, which ran a full public hearing process and has since adopted the recommendations of their Hearing Committee.

Environment Canterbury’s report concluded that TrustPower’s proposed amendment will “continue to preserve and protect the outstanding natural characteristics, habitats and features of the Rakaia River.”

“I appreciate the work done by ECan and the hearing committee in running such a thorough hearings process,” Mr Brownlee says.

“TrustPower will now be able to take water from the Rakaia in accordance with the amended Conservation Order.

“They will also be able to apply for resource consent to construct a canal from Lake Coleridge to join up with the Central Plains irrigation scheme, which has already been consented.”

Conservation Minister Nick Smith today opened a 26 kilometre section of the Old Ghost Road cycle trail in Buller.

The project is a partnership between the Mokihinui – Lyell Backcountry Trust and the Department of Conservation.  It is supported by community and business interests.

The Old Ghost Road is part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail which showcases the very best of what New Zealand has to offer – spectacular scenery, unique culture and first class Kiwi hospitality.

“It is excellent example of how working together can achieve some pretty remarkable results,” Dr Smith said.

“The project has involved many hours of work by volunteers. In conservation and many other sectors of our society we are fortunate to have volunteers, and conservation benefits considerably.”

Work on the Old Ghost Road trail to date has involved the construction of four new huts; installation of bridges and some high quality track formation.

“Over the last couple of weeks three new cycleways have opened – Tasman Great Taste Trail (between Richmond and Mapua); Homestead Run (near Hanmer Springs) and The Old Ghost Road which illustrates the Government’s continued commitment to this exciting initiative.”

A formal recreational assessment indicates The Old Ghost Road may generate around $3 million a year for the Buller region.

Already The Old Ghost Road has been named in the top three cycle trails in the world by UK-based Essential Travel and New Zealand’s mountain biking greats the Kennett Brothers believe the trail has the potential to be to cycling what the Milford Track is to walking – among the best in the world.

Dr Smith looks forward to the completion of The Old Ghost Road cycle trail and the outstanding world class experience that it will provide for locals and visitors to the Buller Region.

Sir David Attenborough LIFE series recently on TVNZ can no doubt be blamed for the resurgence of interest in invertebrate fauna – but whatever the reason, people are talking excitedly about the Butterflies Conference to be held at Auckland’s Unitec on 16 and 17 March.

“I believe we’ve gathered the very best of speakers from this country as well as Australia and the USA,” said Jacqui Knight, part of the conference organising team. “For example, renowned lepidopterist Brian Patrick will identify New Zealand species – there’s not much he doesn’t know about NZ’s Lepidoptera.”
Geoff Davidson, founder of Oratia Native Plant Nursery, will speak on native plants for native butterflies and moths, and Queensland’s Professor Myron Zalucki will detail exactly what goes on in the milkweed patch, sustainable Monarch butterfly habitat.

Keynote speaker Associate Professor David G James comes from the north-west USA where he is instrumental in creating sustainable habitat in leading vineyards, reducing the need for chemical pesticide use.

“Butterfly and moth caterpillars make great food for birds and other wildlife so they should be an important part of any habitat restoration,” said Jacqui.

Auckland photographer John Chapman is to provide tips on getting the best photographs of butterflies, insects and flowers, whether it be to help identify species or share them with friends and family. Talented horticulturist Joanne Alder will demonstrate how to get more of those special butterfly nectar plants for free.

Madam Butterfly will give twenty tips on designing butterfly habitat for butterflies and day-flying moths, and radio identity Graeme Hill will share his experience on rearing beautiful Admirals - fast disappearing from our landscape.

But that's not all!

There's plenty more to enjoy. The programme, poster and registration form is on the website of the Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust, http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/projects/conference-2013/

Earlybird registration: $120 per person, closes 31 January; registration: $140 per person, closes 28 February  and late registration will be $160 per person depending on space.

This event is the first of its kind to ever be held in Auckland and is proving very popular.
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For more information, photographs etc: Jacqui Knight, phone 09 551 3383 or 027 481 4811.

An example of the importance of wetlands and the challenges involved in their restoration and enhancement will be on public show to mark World Wetlands Day on Sunday (3 February).

Te Wawa Wetland, just north of Oakura, will be the venue for a field day allowing visitors to inspect the area first-hand and to hear about its value and the work that still needs to be done.

The 4.8 ha wetland, on properties leased from PKW Incorporation by John Washer and Neil Maulder, is the habitat of a number of threatened and endangered bird and reptile species, including the Australasian bittern, the spotless crake and the gold-striped gecko. Its vegetation includes raupo reed and flax, as well as a small coastal forest remnant containing kawakawa, mahoe, karamu and lancewood. It is also close to a pa site.

A major priority at the wetland is management of pest plants and further investigation of native animal life, particularly fish and aquatic invertebrates. This work forms part of a Conservation and Biodiversity Plan for the property, drawn up by the Taranaki Regional Council in consultation with the owners and leaseholders.

Te Wawa Wetland is listed as a Regionally Significant Wetland and a Key Native Ecosystem by the Council.

As well as a tour of the wetland, Sunday’s field day will include addresses by the Taranaki Regional Council Chairman, David MacLeod, who is also on the board of PKW, and representatives of Forest and Bird, QEII National Trust, Taranaki Tree Trust and the Department of Conservation.

The field day starts at 10am. The property is on Koru Road, off SH45 north of Oakura, and will be signposted from the highway.  Bring good walking shoes, hat and sunblock, and water or juice.

Claims that most species will go extinct before they can be discovered have been debunked in the latest issue of Science, by researchers from The University of Auckland, Griffith University, and the University of Oxford.

The scientists show that the claims are based on two key misconceptions: an over-estimation of how many species may exist on Earth, and the erroneous belief that the number of taxonomists (people who describe and identify species) is declining.

“Our findings are potentially good news for the conservation of global biodiversity,” says lead author Associate Professor Mark Costello from The University of Auckland’s Leigh Marine Laboratory, who published the work with Professor Nigel Stork from Griffith University and Professor Bob May from Oxford.

The authors propose that there are 5 +/- 3 million species on Earth – far fewer than has been widely believed – of which 1.5 million species have been named. This re-affirms previous estimates by the three authors, which spanned the upper and lower reaches of this range.

“Over-estimates of the number of species on Earth are self-defeating because they can make attempts to discover and conserve biodiversity appear to be hopeless,” says Dr Costello. “Our work suggests that this is far from the case. We believe that with just a modest increase in effort in taxonomy and conservation, most species could be discovered and protected from extinction.”

The authors conclude that there have never been so many people describing new species – including professionals and amateurs, the number may near 50,000. And the community continues to grow, in large part due to the development of science in Asia and South America, regions that are rich in biodiversity and where many new species are being discovered.

While the research suggests that species are more likely to be discovered than to go extinct, the authors do not underplay the seriousness of the threats to species and their habitats. The combination of over-hunting, habitat loss and climate change, now occurring at both local and global scales, mean that extinction rates could increase very rapidly in the future.

Dr Costello says that the discovery and naming of species is critical to their conservation. Naming a species gives formal recognition to its existence, making its conservation far easier. The process of discovery, including exploration of remote and less studied habitats, also provides the evidence to underpin conservation efforts.

Amongst the authors’ recommendations to increase the rate of species discovery are: getting more people involved in the work; international coordination of exploration and specimen collections; the development of freely available online databases; and financial support from governments and other organisations for these efforts.

The current research is published in the latest issue of Science: Costello MJ, May RM, Stork NE. (2013) Can we name Earth’s species before they go extinct?