An authoritative classification and catalogue of marine names

Eucyclops nagasaki from Uéno 1934
  
Mysidopsis zsilaveczi, author: Guido Zsilavecz
  
Histiophryne psychedelica, author: David Hall / seaphotos.com
  
Nebalia sp., author: Hillewaert, Hans
  
Dugong dugon, Australia, (c) Doug Perrine, seapics.com, author: Self-Sullivan, Caryn
  

News

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World Modern Foraminifera Database launched

Added on: 2011-08-12 10:20:55 by Hayward, B.W.
The World Modern Foraminifera Database currently contains roughly 10,000 names, including 6,700 accepted species. It also contains 1,100 references and around 2,700 images of species.
The (3) editors are: Bruce W. Hayward; Tomas Cedhagen; Mike Kaminski. ...

The European Species Portal (PESI) has been launched!

Added on: 2011-05-10 09:36:27 by De Hauwere, Nathalie
The portal of PESI (Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) has been launched: www.eu-nomen.eu/portal and is available in 21 European languages. With time, it will be possible to find and search through the information of all species appearing in Europe. Not only the species living in seas and oceans, but also of all terrestrial and aquatic species. Currently, there are already nearly half a million scientific and non-scientific names in 88 languages for over 210 000 species and over 6 million distribution records. ...

In Memoriam Patsy A. McLaughlin (1932-2011)

Added on: 2011-04-06 09:03:42 by Lemaitre, Rafael
I am saddened to report that WoRMS paguroid taxonomic editor, Dr. Patsy A. McLaughlin, passed away from heart failure at a clinic near her home in Sedro Woolley, Washington, on April 4, 2011. ...

An ABC tool for species names

Added on: 2011-02-28 15:18:56 by Appeltans, Ward
The correct spelling of a species name is not always trivial (which one is correct: Cirrhitichthys, Cirrhitychthys or Cirritichthys?) and it is very difficult for non-taxonomists to keep up with the valid status of species names. Check our powerful online name matching tool to standardize your names with WoRMS. ...

In Memoriam Hans G. Hansson

Added on: 2011-02-03 14:02:18 by Stöhr, Sabine
Hans Hansson was one of our European taxonomic editors. ...

Showing readers what species look like

Added on: 2010-12-10 10:30:00 by Appeltans, Ward
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and associated databases are an index to the book of life, but our further goal is for every species to have its face on the web. ...

The Canadian Register of Marine Species is now available online

Added on: 2010-11-23 17:24:15 by Kennedy, Mary
CaRMS is one of the regional species registers in WoRMS, containing authoritative species distribution records for marine areas of interest to Canadian researchers and includes taxa found in three oceans: the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific. ...

NEW World Ascidiacea Database

Added on: 2010-10-19 15:47:08 by Shenkar, Noa
The "World Ascidiacea Database" has just gone online as a part of the World Register of Marine Species initiative. ...

First reference list of toxic micro algae online

Added on: 2010-10-19 15:31:13 by Appeltans, Ward
We recently held our 1st meeting of the editorial board of the IOC taxonomic reference list of harmful micro algae (11-13 October 2010 in Hillerød, Denmark). The reference list is an integral part of the World Register of Marine Species database and is actively maintained by nine taxonomic experts. This taxonomic reference list is an initiative of the UNESCO IOC programme on harmful algal blooms. ...

Belgian Register of Marine Species online

Added on: 2010-10-01 11:41:50 by Vandepitte, Leen
The Belgian Register of Marine Species is now available online. It contains all currently accepted scientific names for all sea creatures appearing in the Belgian part of the North Sea, mainly based on the knowledge of field experts and – for some taxonomic groups – complemented with available literature. ...

LSIDs implemented

Added on: 2010-09-24 18:02:28 by Vanhoorne, Bart
WoRMS has now implemented persistent & resolvable LSIDs for taxa. For more information, click on 'webservices'. ...

Mangrove database in Plant Ecology and Evolution

Added on: 2010-09-14 10:34:26 by Appeltans, Ward
The journal Plant Ecology and Evolution has recently published a paper on the ‘Mangrove Reference Database and Herbarium’, which is an integral part of the World Register of Marine Species, hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute. ...

NEW World Echinoidea Database

Added on: 2010-09-10 15:38:06 by Kroh, Andreas
The World Echinoidea Database has just gone online. It contains all currently accepted scientific names for sea urchins and is progressively extended to include all published combinations of echinoid names, allowing both specialists and non-specialists to find the currently accepted name for extant sea urchins.

NEW Littoral myriapods website

Added on: 2010-07-20 16:00:57 by Barber, Tony
Centipedes and millipedes seem unlikely animals to find on seashores but in fact there are several species of millipede and more than forty centipedes (notably the geophilomorphs or “wire centipedes”) that are known from around high water or below on beaches around the world and there are certainly other species to be recorded from such sites. ...

New version of taxon match online

Added on: 2010-07-19 12:55:49 by Appeltans, Ward
VLIZ has implemented a more powerful semi-automated tool to cross-check species lists against the WoRMS database (called Aphia). Click on Match taxa in the menu. You can upload a list of species names and the system will return your file matched with the species names in WoRMS. It notifies when the name is an unaccepted synonym, if the spelling is not exact (phonetic or near matches), the authority and publication date, the hierarchical classification, quality status (expert validated or not), the persistent WoRMS LSID and citation for each name. When there are multiple matches the system provides a pick-list. ...

The International Institute of Species Exploration reports 1,922,710 living species on Earth.

Added on: 2010-05-26 15:30:51 by Appeltans, Ward
Their 2010 annual report "State of Observed Species (SOS)" makes on overview of nearly two million species of which one million are insects. In 2008, 18,225 living species and 2,140 animal fossil species were described as new to science. WoRMS is now an official data partner.

WoRMS collaborating with the Census of Marine Life

Added on: 2010-02-03 16:53:17 by Mark Costello, Ward Appeltans
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is pleased to announce funding from the Census of Marine Life (CoML) Synthesis group at Memorial University to help complete draft species lists for gaps in taxon coverage in WoRMS. ...

WoRMS participates in the Global Names Index initiative

Added on: 2009-11-06 12:42:29 by Costello, Mark
WoRMS is contributing to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the development of international biodiversity informatics science through participating in the Global Names Index (GNI) initiative (www.globalnames.org). ...

1,000,000 hits every month...

Added on: 2009-10-06 11:54:54 by Appeltans, Ward
The number of visitors to the WoRMS website is increasing. September was the third month already showing over one million hits. On a regular week day, there are more than 2,000 visits. For 2009, we are approaching 200,000 unique visitors (on the basis of the IP address). If WoRMS could help each of these researchers to save on average one working day per year to find the currently valid name or correct spelling, then this would mean a total gain of 1,000 full time equivalents this year only (not to mention a.o. the scientific benefit). ...

NEW World Hydrozoa Database

Added on: 2009-08-24 15:51:44 by Schuchert, Peter
Hydrozoa are among the most diverse group of cnidarians. The World Hydrozoa database includes all extant hydrozoan species and is intended to act as a tool for anyone needing correct taxonomic information, both specialists and non-specialists alike. Visit: www.marinespecies.org/hydrozoa. ...

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Currently in WoRMS

Accepted marine species

246 374 (98% checked)


Marine species names, including synonyms

509 327


Species with image

46 221 (62% checked)