International Institute for Species Exploration
| Founded | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Focus | Taxonomy, Biodiversity |
| Location | |
|
Area served
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World wide |
| Owner | State University of New York |
|
Key people
|
Quentin D. Wheeler, Executive Director |
| Website | www.esf.edu/species/ |
The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) is a research institute located in Syracuse, New York. Its mission is to improve taxonomical exploration and the cataloging of new species of flora and fauna. Since 2008, IISE has published a yearly "Top 10" of the most unusual or unique biota newly identified in the previous year, with the aim of drawing attention to the work done in taxonomy across the world over the previous year.
In 2011, the institute contributed towards the estimate that Earth was home to approximately 8.7 million species.
The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) is a research facility dedicated to exploring cataloging the Earth's species across all kingdoms. IISE cites three reasons why an improved taxonomic understanding of life is important: without knowing what exists today, humans will be unable to tell when species go extinct; the diversity of life driven by billions of years of natural selection means nature likely holds the answers to many human problems; to better appreciate our place in the world.
IISE is hosted by State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry and located in Syracuse New York, United States. It was founded in 2007. IISE was previously associated with Arizona State University. The institute's executive director is Professor Quentin D. Wheeler, a former Cornell University entomologist.
In 2011, the institute contributed towards the widely publicized estimate that Earth is home to approximately 8.7 million species.
Starting in 2008, the IISE has published an annual list of the "Top 10 New Species" in an effort to increase public awareness of the diversity of life on Earth. The list is credited with bringing attention to the abundance of new discovers, just as the world's species are declining. Additionally, Wheeler said he hopes it spurs a sense of urgency to catalog Earth's creatures.
Each year an international panel picks the list from the 17,000–18,000 species described during the previous calendar year, emphasizing diversity with their picks. To be eligible for inclusion, the species must have been formally described in an accredited scientific journal and named within the previous calendar year. The list is published on or just before May 23, the birthday of Carl Linnaeus, the "father" of taxonomy. The list is unordered. According to selection committee chair Antonio Valdecasas, it is very difficult to select the list due to the large number of species discovered each year. He added that "always surprised" by the diverse discoveries each year and that we are "very far" from a complete description of life on Earth.
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