These numbers only begin to describe the scope of the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year international effort undertaken in to assess the diversity (how many different kinds), distribution (where they live), and abundance (how many) of marine life—a task never before attempted on this scale......
The Coastal & Oceanic Plankton Ecology, Production & Observation Database (COPEPOD) is an online database of plankton abundance, biomass, and composition data compiled from a global assortment of cruises, projects, and institutional holdings......
The International Council for Science (ICSU) formed the Special Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) in 1957 to help address interdisciplinary science questions related to the ocean. SCOR was the first interdisciplinary body formed by ICSU. SCOR's name was later changed to "Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research" to reflect its more permanent status.