Since I have been on the topic of new species being discovered, I should probably mention the most spectacular of recent announcements -- the discovery of more than 50 new species of marine life in the waters off Indonesia.
The species were identified during recent expeditions to the waters off the northwest portion of Papua. Two of the species are small sharks that "walk" along the seabed in search of prey, while 22 of the species are other varieties of fish and eight of the species are mantis shrimps. The remaining 20 species are hard corals.
Scientists attribute the number of new species to a combination of geographic isolation and low human population density. Unfortunately, news of the discovery is tempered with comments that pollution and destructive fishing practices (such as the use of poison and explosives) pose a threat to the overall biodiversity in the area.
Check out the following link to watch a video of some of the new species:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060919-shark-walk-video.html
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