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The Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life is planned to become a comprehensive catalogue of all known species of organisms on Earth. Rapid progress has been made recently and this, the ninth edition of the Annual Checklist, contains 1,160,711 species. Please note that this is probably just more than half of the world's known species. This means that for many groups it continues to be deficient, and users will notice that many species are still missing from the Catalogue. The present Catalogue is compiled with sectors provided by 66 taxonomic databases from around the world. Many of these contain taxonomic data and opinions from extensive networks of specialists, so that the complete work contains contributions from more than 3,000 specialists from throughout the taxonomic profession. Species 2000 and ITIS teams peer review databases, select appropriate sectors and integrate the sectors into a single coherent catalogue with a single hierarchical classification. It is planned to introduce alternative taxonomic treatments and alternative classifications, but an important feature is that for those users who wish to use it, a single preferred catalogue, based on peer reviews, will continue to be provided.

Nearly 100 endangered species should be on track to meet federal scientists' recovery goals, according to a new analysis by a national nonprofit organization that seeks to protect the planet's biological diversity. The Center for Biological Diversity's review examined population trends of 110 endangered plant and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in every state across the USA, including Florida's American crocodile, the gray wolf of the Rockies, and the black-footed ferret, which once existed from southern Canada to Texas. The group found that 90 percent of the species listed are on a positive trajectory toward recovery - and some are even doing better. Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1cmi1)

"Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species. "

"Young children are able to recognize every single specimen of the 493 Pokémon "species" (e.g., a value three times greater than our number of "priority protection species"), but they face great difficulties when asked to recognize common animal species... Natural attractiveness of children towards animals should not focus only on few iconic species but must be also directed toward common and local organisms by engaging children with practical experiences with nature. Our study simply adds another call to push the children outside and away from the screens."

Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program's multimedia gallery to hear podcasts about featured species, such as the whooping crane, Gila trout, piping plover, desert tortoise, Florida panther, and Jesup's milk-vetch. Most appropriate for use with middle and high school students, each 5- to 10-minute episode describes the species and reports on its status, updating listeners on the progress of any programs working to aid it protection. Teachers can download a written transcript of each podcast.

Includes statistics about NY bird species and a map showing variability in bird species richness across the state.

This resource by Howard Hughes Medical Institute addresses the questions of how species form and why there are so many species. Includes films on Charles Darwin, finch beaks, and evolution of lizards.

"A consortium has formed to develop, support and maintain an on-line, GIS-based, all-taxa invasive species mapping tool, iMapInvasives, focused on serving the needs of land managers, regional planners and others working to prevent, control or manage invasive species. A particular emphasis is placed on functionality designed to aid in Early Detection/Rapid Response (ED/RR) efforts. "

The study shows that species that often occur together now are projected to shift in very different ways, resulting in new ecological communities. These novel (or "no-analog") communities may disrupt complex webs of plant and animal interactions, with unanticipated consequences for species and ecosystems.

BioKIDS: Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species addresses both inquiry and life science content standards through exploration of local biodiversity, collection of animal species, and the investigation of individual animals and how animals interact with one another. Through these activities students will gain a clearer understanding of how organisms meet their basic needs and the role the environment plays in supporting a variety of organisms. In this curriculum, students use CyberTracker, an animal-tracking program that runs on hand-held computers (PDAs), to log animal sightings in their schoolyard. Students then analyze the data for class and team experiments. Another salient feature of the curriculum is the Critter Catalog, an on-line animal species database developed by the BioKIDS team. Students use this as the main resource when they write species accounts (conduct research on individual animals).

Includes an interactive infographic showing dots for 4,529 species of mammal, bird, and amphibian at risk of extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Mousing over the dots shows details of individual species.

"Explore 15,000 of the world's endangered species. With over 100,000 photos and videos, discover what these animals, plants and fungi look like, what makes them special and why we should protect them."

"Travel by boat with ornithologists as they catalog breathtaking bird life along the banks of one of Brazil's remote rivers. You'll discover how their work is redefining diversity in Amazonia and reshaping traditional conservation boundaries by identifying new Areas of Endemism-regions that harbor species found nowhere else in the world. Explore our interactive map to follow in the scientists' footsteps and view video journals and site notes documenting the team's experiences during their expedition. You can take a look at-and listen to-the amazing birds found at each of the three study sites and learn more fun facts about each species' habits and habitats!"

Up next, 30,000 species under the sea. A few years ago, marine biologists working off the coast of Oregon collected samples of seawater from the very deepest parts of the ocean there at two sites near an active ocean floor volcano. And once the samples are brought to the surface, biologists on the other side of the country, in Massachusetts, analyzed the samples to find out what kinds of microbes were living at the bottom of the ocean. And what they found was astonishing. An amazing array of microbes, more than 30,000 species many, which were never - have never been seen before. They are new to science. The results of that analysis were published earlier this month in the journal Science.

"Gulf Coast bird watchers continue to survey beaches and marshes for birds as oil gushes from the Deepwater Horizon oil well.This tool highlights 10 focal species of conservation concern that are being impacted by the current oil spill. For each species, we display hundreds of recent Gulf Coast sightings on a map along with count information.. This information can effectively steer beach protection and clean-up efforts to the sites with the greatest concentrations of birds and most important habitats. "

When officials gather for an international summit on biodiversity next month, they might look to remind the world why species matter to humans: for producing oxygen, finding new drugs, making agricultural crops more productive, and something far less tangible - a sense of wonder.

A free downloadable textbook written by the top names in conservation biology with the principal aim of disseminating cutting-edge conservation knowledge as widely as possible. Topics include balancing conversion and human needs, climate change, conservation planning, designing and analyzing conservation research, ecosystem services, endangered species management, extinctions, fire, habitat loss, and invasive species.

Lecture 1: Learning from Past Extinctions Lecture 2: Humans, Biodiversity, and Habitat Loss Lecture 3: Rescuing Species Lecture 4: Extreme Life of the Sea Lecture 5: Ocean Species Respond to Climate Change Lecture 6: Dodging Extinction

How do you effectively prioritize conservation decisions for migratory species? Is it better to target species when breeding, wintering, migrating or some mix? How do you build forecast changes in climate and land use when making these decisions?