Papua New Guinea is located in the Coral Triangle, the planet’s richest source of marine biodiversity, and its forests are some of the most abundant in the world in terms of diversity of plant species. Over three months, more than 200 people will be exploring Papua New Guinea’s ecosystems, from the bottom of the Bismarck Sea to the summit of Mount Wilhelm, it’s highest peak.
Assisted by Papuan guides, researchers, technicians, amateur naturalists and students from 21 different countries will gather as many specimens and as much data as they can. This massive inventory will document the species present in the region, many of which are still unknown, and will attempt to answer a fundamental question; how many living species inhabit our planet?
The land-based component of the expedition is led by Olivier Pascal of Pro-Natura International, Maurice Leponce of the Belgian Royal Institute of Natural Sciences, Vojtch Novotny of Binatang Research Center and Jérôme Munzinger of IRD, for the botanical component of the expedition.
The sea-based component of the expedition is led by Philippe Bouchet of the National Museum of Natural History and Claude Payri (Institute of Research for Development).