Three SNSB scientists discuss the critical state of biodiversity across different ecosystems – oceans, tropical forests, and past ice age environments.
Gert Wörheide, an expert on marine biodiversity, highlights the importance of coral reefs, which harbor 30% of marine biodiversity despite covering only 1% of the ocean surface. Pollution, overfishing and climate change are causing mass coral bleaching, leading to widespread reef die-offs.
“Projections are that we will lose 99% of coral reefs by 2100 if we continue business as usual in terms of CO2 emissions”, Wörheide warns. “And when we lose 99%, we lose nearly 30% of marine biodiversity.”
Frank Glaw, curator for Herpetology at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (Zoologische Staatssammlung München), explains the significance of tropical rainforests for biodiversity and our planet’s health.
Anneke van Heteren, a researcher and curator at the Bavarian State Collection of Paleontology and Geology, discusses biodiversity during prehistoric times, and how early humans competed with large animals for resources like food, clothing and shelter.
