More than 50 new species off Indonesia's Papua
2006-09-18

Category Oceanography Nations Indonesia

Scientists have found at least 52 new marine species off the western coast of Indonesia's Papua, deeming the waters there to be one of the richest in the world.

A new reef shark species, various prawns, corals and anemones were among the "extraordinary and important" findings on expeditions this year, said Jatna Supriatna, executive director of Conservation International Indonesia.

Several trips held by the group with the government's forest and nature conservation agency also included foreign experts who confirmed the new species, he said Monday.

The experts "were surprised at the exceptional biodiversity of the waters around the Bird's Head. They even deem the area to contain much richer biodiversity than the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, for example," Supriatna said.

The Bird's Head area refers to the westernmost peninsula of the Indonesian part of New Guinea island.

Supriatna said hundreds of fish, crustaceans and coral species were living at each of the areas researched, with at least seven prawn species, 23 reef fish species and 42 coral species being unique to the area.

Conservation International earlier this year announced finding new land species after an expedition to the virgin forests of Papua's Mamberamo area in December 2005.