Reblogged from jtotheizzoe
Explore the Map of Life!
MappingLife.org is live, and incredibly informative. It has collected biodiversity survey data for tens of thousands of terrestrial and aquatic species around Earth. And it’s all there for you to search and draw maps with.
The data comes from field observations as well as other sources like museum specimens. You can toggle several different types of data for each species that you choose, and overlay them on customized Google-based maps.
The map above is one I made just now, showing the known habitats of a few bluefin tuna species (genus Thunnus, because they are critically threatened), African elephants (Loxodonta africana, also fighting with humans to retain their habitat) and sea otters (Enhydra lutris, because I love otters). Here’s a tutorial video.
It’s a tool that’s as much educational as it is fun, and a way for anyone to take part in biodiversity research. It’s all of our planet. They’re all of our species.
Go. Play. Learn. Conserve.
