Why is there no service to support taxonomy?

Area of Science:

• Integrative taxonomy
• Biodiversity science
• Systematics

Background:

• Modern scientific research increasingly relies on collaboration and commercial services due to growing complexity and specialization.
• Integrative taxonomy, while evidence-dependent and complex, has lagged in collaborative trends, with 'turbo taxonomy' efforts proving unsatisfactory.
• The current rate of new species descriptions is insufficient to address the scale of biodiversity loss.

Discussion:

• A proposed taxonomic service within the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance will provide essential data for new species descriptions.
• This service will act as a central hub, connecting a global network of taxonomists to form an alliance focused on potential new species.
• The initiative aims to confront both the extinction and inclusion crises by expediting the taxonomic process.

Key Insights:

• Developing a dedicated service can significantly enhance the acquisition of descriptive data for species.
• Connecting a global network of taxonomists can overcome the limitations of current species description rates.
• Addressing the slow pace of taxonomy is critical for understanding and mitigating Anthropocene biodiversity loss.

Outlook:

• The envisioned service will support the fundamental data acquisition needed for describing and naming new species.
• This collaborative model has the potential to revitalize the field of taxonomy, countering its perception as outdated.
• By accelerating taxonomic descriptions, the service will contribute vital data for conservation efforts and biodiversity assessments.