Home
Biodiversity

About This Collection

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is necessary for life to thrive on Earth.

Aldo Leopold, one of the great thinkers of conservation, observed more than half a century ago the importance of protecting species. "To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering," he wrote. Losing species is like throwing away one by one the engine parts of an airplane while flying.

Biodiversity is a major initiative of Conservation International.

Biodiversity conservation provides substantial benefits to meet immediate human needs, such as those for clean, consistent water flows; protection from floods and storms; and a stable climate. 

Curated by mokiethecat

Feather Stars Freestyle Into the Hearts of Nautilus Live Scientists
August 23, 2023
The rare feather star sightings here were captured on film south of Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific during a 2022 expedition funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. Learn more about the expedition: https://nautiluslive.org/cruise/na141 This video was also featured in the Endangered Earth Online newsletter (issue 1,207, released Aug. 24, 2023), accompanying a report on the discovery of new-to-science feather stars, including the Antarctic strawberry feather stars, aptly named for the fruit-like body shape beneath their 20 arms, which they flail around rhythmically to swim. Called free-swimming stemless crinoids, feather stars all look a little like the fictional facehugger from the Alien movie, but they’re actually related to starfish and sea cucumbers. #ThatsWild Read more and see pictures of an Antarctic strawberry feather star here: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/earthonline/endangered-earth-online-no1207.html