Nansen surveys contributing to improve knowledge on marine biodiversity: the case of the 2015 Myanmar Ecosystem survey
Surveys at sea offer unique tool to document marine biodiversity. At the request of the Myanmar Government, the R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen undertook an ecosystem survey in the EEZ of Myanmar in 2015. In this survey seven new fish species were discovered and formally described. Among them are two new soldierfishes of the genus Ostichthys.
Several other fish species were discovered on the same cruise, including one ray Platyrhina psomadakisi White & Last, 2016, one bathyclupeid Neobathyclupea melanoptera Prokofiev, Gon & Psomadakis, 2016, one cepolid Owstonia nudibucca Smith-Vaniz & Johnson, 2016, one pinguipedid Parapercis caudopellucida Johnson & Motomura, one triglid Lepidotrigla psolokerkos Gomon & Psomadakis, 2018 and other 11 bony and cartilaginous fish species are in the process of being described. In addition, more than 15 "taxonomically problematic" fishes collected during the cruise could only be determined to genus/family level and are presently being studied by internationally-recognized taxonomists. It is expected that at least half of these "taxonomically problematic" fish species are actually undescribed species. These discoveries show the value of surveys at sea for increasing our understanding of marine biodiversity while providing coastal states with important knowledge for sustainable management of their resources.
