- Email: [email protected]
Understanding marine biodiversity — A research agenda for the nation
Book
Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 196 (1996) 373-390
389
Understanding Marine Biodiversity - A Research Agenda for the Nation, by Committee on Biological Diversity in Marine Systems, etc.; National Academy Press, Washington, DC; 1995; ii + 114 pp.; GBP 24.95; ISBN O-309-05225-4. This slim volume of seventy-five text pages and an additional thirty-nine pages of references, appendices and an index is the outcome of a U. S. National Academy of Science workshop held on May 24 to 26, 1994 at Irvine, California. Attended by 64 participants including scientists and representatives from Federal Agencies, the Nation Research Council and by the Scientific Press and written by the “Committee on Biological Diversity of Marine Systems” it is, as the subtitle reveals, a document outlining a proposed “research agenda for the Nation”. Biodiversity as it was defined by participants of the workshop is “the collection of genomes, species and ecosystems occurring in a geographically defined region”. However, so broad a definition embraces virtually all conceivable research on population genetics, taxonomy, or geographical ecology and one wonders if not the varied research interests of all participants a the workshop were incorporated in order to arrive at this all-encompassing definition. Surely it is the diversity of species that must define biodiversity. Genes (notwithstanding opinions of some geneticists to the contrary) have no life of their own; they cannot exist outside an organism. Nor can ecosystems reproduce themselves, even though they consist of functionally interdependent species. Accordingly, from a practical consideration it seems best to restrict the definition of biological diversity to the number of species within a circumscribed region and not confound its meaning with various additional abstract attributes. While undeniably it is important to understand the processes involved in achieving and maintaining various levels of species diversity, such insights necessarily must be preceded by a knowledge of the number of species and their relative abundance. Only after data on species are available is it possible to consider the processes that determine biological diversity at various spatial and temporal scales. Yet throughout this short text of 75 pages, it is the processes that affect biological diversity that overwhelmingly are emphasized. While briefly mentioned at various points in the text the subject of taxonomy is relegated largely to one short chapter of only two and a half pages (pp. 46-48) that follow on forty-five pages including an introduction, and chapters on “linking patterns to processes” and “regionally defined models”. The sequences of chapters seemingly stands the study of biodiversity on its head! Although the question of declining numbers of taxonomists is discussed, the obvious solution of training more graduate students to enter the field is not realistically considered. Even by the most conservative estimates there remain thousands of deep-sea benthic invertebrates languishing in museums in France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, undescribed and unnamed. Likewise most tropical faunas are incompletely known. To be sure, there are new methods such as some of the molecular techniques which have proved to be particularly useful in microbial taxonomy, or for discriminating between cryptic species, briefly described in a short section on methods (pp. 60-61). However,
390
Book Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Bid. Ecol. 196 (1996) 37%39%
morphology is and doubtlessly will remain in the foreseeable future the principal means for describing and distinguishing species. Yet not only is “classical” taxonomy rarely included in the curriculum of most universities, but even courses on invertebrate zoology and algae are increasingly less often taught. in the summary (p. 74) is written that “the ultimate benefit to science and society of this research program [on marine biodiversity] would be an enhanced ability for long-term sustained use of the oceans and marine organisms for food, mineral resources, biomedical, recreation and other aesthetic and economic gains, while conserving and preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functions of life in the sea”. This is indeed a laudable goal, however, no matter what predictions and insights arise from the scientific research proposed, biodiversity it seems will remain in the foreseeable future a political and economic problem. So long as it is perceived by some that there may be short-term advantages in a course of action, the possible consequences for biodiversity in the distant future are frequently ignored no matter how much is known or predicted on the basis of scientific knowledge (e.g. consider the oceanic fisheries on George’s Bank). The issue of ethics may be outside the scope of this small volume, but it nonetheless begs serious study and research. It well may be that in a capitalistic society economics and ethics will prove in the end to be a more difficult problem than that of obtaining the scientific insights needed to preserve biological diversity. The most difficult problem is to truly “understand biodiversity” and to respond in a way that is appropriate to all of our society’s long range benefit, not just for the benefit of only a few. It is not altogether evident to whom this volume is addressed. Though thought provoking, it is problematic whether this book will enhance “Understanding Marine Biodiversity” among the average non-scientist reader. Rudolf S. Scheltema Woods Hole Oceanographic Department of Biology Woods Hole MA 02543-1049 USA
Institution
Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 196 (1996) 373-390
389
Understanding Marine Biodiversity - A Research Agenda for the Nation, by Committee on Biological Diversity in Marine Systems, etc.; National Academy Press, Washington, DC; 1995; ii + 114 pp.; GBP 24.95; ISBN O-309-05225-4. This slim volume of seventy-five text pages and an additional thirty-nine pages of references, appendices and an index is the outcome of a U. S. National Academy of Science workshop held on May 24 to 26, 1994 at Irvine, California. Attended by 64 participants including scientists and representatives from Federal Agencies, the Nation Research Council and by the Scientific Press and written by the “Committee on Biological Diversity of Marine Systems” it is, as the subtitle reveals, a document outlining a proposed “research agenda for the Nation”. Biodiversity as it was defined by participants of the workshop is “the collection of genomes, species and ecosystems occurring in a geographically defined region”. However, so broad a definition embraces virtually all conceivable research on population genetics, taxonomy, or geographical ecology and one wonders if not the varied research interests of all participants a the workshop were incorporated in order to arrive at this all-encompassing definition. Surely it is the diversity of species that must define biodiversity. Genes (notwithstanding opinions of some geneticists to the contrary) have no life of their own; they cannot exist outside an organism. Nor can ecosystems reproduce themselves, even though they consist of functionally interdependent species. Accordingly, from a practical consideration it seems best to restrict the definition of biological diversity to the number of species within a circumscribed region and not confound its meaning with various additional abstract attributes. While undeniably it is important to understand the processes involved in achieving and maintaining various levels of species diversity, such insights necessarily must be preceded by a knowledge of the number of species and their relative abundance. Only after data on species are available is it possible to consider the processes that determine biological diversity at various spatial and temporal scales. Yet throughout this short text of 75 pages, it is the processes that affect biological diversity that overwhelmingly are emphasized. While briefly mentioned at various points in the text the subject of taxonomy is relegated largely to one short chapter of only two and a half pages (pp. 46-48) that follow on forty-five pages including an introduction, and chapters on “linking patterns to processes” and “regionally defined models”. The sequences of chapters seemingly stands the study of biodiversity on its head! Although the question of declining numbers of taxonomists is discussed, the obvious solution of training more graduate students to enter the field is not realistically considered. Even by the most conservative estimates there remain thousands of deep-sea benthic invertebrates languishing in museums in France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, undescribed and unnamed. Likewise most tropical faunas are incompletely known. To be sure, there are new methods such as some of the molecular techniques which have proved to be particularly useful in microbial taxonomy, or for discriminating between cryptic species, briefly described in a short section on methods (pp. 60-61). However,
390
Book Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Bid. Ecol. 196 (1996) 37%39%
morphology is and doubtlessly will remain in the foreseeable future the principal means for describing and distinguishing species. Yet not only is “classical” taxonomy rarely included in the curriculum of most universities, but even courses on invertebrate zoology and algae are increasingly less often taught. in the summary (p. 74) is written that “the ultimate benefit to science and society of this research program [on marine biodiversity] would be an enhanced ability for long-term sustained use of the oceans and marine organisms for food, mineral resources, biomedical, recreation and other aesthetic and economic gains, while conserving and preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functions of life in the sea”. This is indeed a laudable goal, however, no matter what predictions and insights arise from the scientific research proposed, biodiversity it seems will remain in the foreseeable future a political and economic problem. So long as it is perceived by some that there may be short-term advantages in a course of action, the possible consequences for biodiversity in the distant future are frequently ignored no matter how much is known or predicted on the basis of scientific knowledge (e.g. consider the oceanic fisheries on George’s Bank). The issue of ethics may be outside the scope of this small volume, but it nonetheless begs serious study and research. It well may be that in a capitalistic society economics and ethics will prove in the end to be a more difficult problem than that of obtaining the scientific insights needed to preserve biological diversity. The most difficult problem is to truly “understand biodiversity” and to respond in a way that is appropriate to all of our society’s long range benefit, not just for the benefit of only a few. It is not altogether evident to whom this volume is addressed. Though thought provoking, it is problematic whether this book will enhance “Understanding Marine Biodiversity” among the average non-scientist reader. Rudolf S. Scheltema Woods Hole Oceanographic Department of Biology Woods Hole MA 02543-1049 USA
Institution