| The term 'biodiversity' is the simple contraction of 'biological diversity', and at first sight the concept is simple too: biodiversity is the total sum of all biotic variation from genes to ecosystems (Purvis & Hector, 2000). The challenge comes in measuring such a broad concept in ways that are useful. The measurement of diversity of one place, group or time is in itself more or less useless. But comparable measurements of diversity from multiple places, groups or times can help us to understand how diversity arose and how we can maintain it. Marine biodiversity is higher in benthic rather than in pelagic systems, and in coasts rather than in open ocean since there is a greater range of habitats near the coast. In addition, losses of marine... |
