Last chance to study and name Australia's vanishing species, scientists warn MPs

Australian Academy of Science launches 10-year plan to document hundreds of thousands of unknown species With an estimated 70% of Australian organisms still undocumented and funding for species discovery declining, the national science academy will head to parliament on Friday to argue that a rapid reversal is needed to avoid extinctions and reveal unimagined health and biosecurity solutions.The Australian Academy of Science and its New Zealand counterpart, the Royal Society Te Aparangi, are launching a 10-year plan to study and name unknown species, warning that a sound understanding of biodiversity is critical in the face of a global extinction crisis. Continue reading...