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.