Very little is known about marine biodiversity, especially when compared with the information we have on terrestrial ecosystems.
Enough data is available, however, to compare the regions in terms of biodiversity.
East Asian Seas and the South Pacific stood out as being particularly rich in species, followed by the Caribbean and North-West pacific. The East Asian Seas region has the most species overall in the groups covered, with more corals, molluscs, shrimps, lobsters and sharks. The South Pacific has most seagrass species, and the most seabird species. The most cetacean species are found in the South Pacific and the Upper South-West Atlantic. The Caribbean and North-West Pacific have high numbers of species in most groups, and the Caribbean is particularly rich in endemics.