KU News Release

LAWRENCE — For the Census of Marine Life, there are no detailed questionnaires for sharks, no inquiries about the age and date of birth for Indonesian sea anemones.

But just like the periodic count of people in the United States, the marine census will give scientists and the public a greater understanding of the population — in this case, what lives in the ocean and where.

Daphne Fautin, University of Kansas professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is one of the 2,000 scientists from 70 countries participating in the Census of Marine Life and will offer a talk on the subject at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the KU Natural History Museum.

“Compared to land ecosystems, we know very little about ocean habitats and what inhabits them,” said Fautin, who is also curator of invertebrate zoology at KU’s Biodiversity Institute. “The Census of Marine Life represents the first time scientists have attempted to create a global, comprehensive list of all forms of life in the sea. No such list exists.”

Fautin said that results of the marine census, which will be released in 2010, will show the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life, portions of which are threatened or endangered.

“The Census of Marine Life: What Lives in Our Oceans and Where?” is a part of the museum’s Wild Science series. Held periodically throughout the academic year, the series offers a chance for the public to ask questions of researchers in an informal setting. Coffee, hot chocolate and cookies will be served.