The Mysteries of Earth: The 86% of Life We Don't Know - Biodiversity and the Dilemma of "Counting"

The famous estimate that there are approximately 8.7 million species on Earth, with 86% (and 91% in the ocean) yet to be described, continues to have a strong impact. This is largely due to the delayed comprehensive understanding of small groups known as "dark taxa," such as insects, fungi, and mites, as well as a shortage of experts and funding, and exploration gaps in tropical forests and island regions. On the other hand, DNA barcoding, metagenomics, and eDNA are accelerating exploration, and previously uncharted maps of diversity are being drawn. Estimates range from 8.7 million to "1 trillion species" when including microorganisms, but in any case, visualizing the unknown is fundamental for conservation, epidemiology, agriculture, and drug discovery. On social media, debates are heating up over "astonishment," "investment in taxonomy," and "whether to include microorganisms in the count." What we can do includes sharing observation records, supporting research, and reevaluating our consumption behaviors.