Ocean's Gazillion

Posted by Colin Harvey May 26, 2009

I subscribe to Science News Online, which keeps me abreast of some of the latest developments - invaluable when you're a science-fiction writer. Today's summary included a fascinating item on the Census of Marine Life, an attempt to map the predations of the ocean over history, titled 'Ocean's Gazillion,' which claims that "the upper layer of the ceans has lost perhaps 85 to 90 per cent of the mammals, big fish and other fisheries species that swam there several hundred years ago."

The problem that I have with this approach is the lack of rigour. It's based on old ship's logs, tax journals and other documents. Ship's logs are not noted for their detailed accuracy, as anyone who has read reports of Atlantis and other lost wonders of the world will know.

I look forward to seeing more on this though. It may develop...