Manila, July 1 (IANS) Around 300 new species of flora and fauna have been discovered in the Philippines by an expedition of foreign and national scientists, the Prensa Latina news agency reports.
Specialists from the California Academy of Sciences and the University of Philippines studied the Luzon island for 42 days and discovered the new species in reefs, tropical forests and within the deep sea.
The species found include insects, spiders, reptiles, amphibians, fish, coral, sea urchins and plants.
The Philippine Biodiversity Expedition 2011, which culminated in June, was the first to do a comprehensive survey of all aquatic and terrestrial genres in the country.
After completing the international mission, botanists, entomologists and marine biologists helped to establish a biodiversity assessment of the country in order to contribute to future conservation decisions and policies.
They also concluded that coral reefs were threatened by unsustainable economic activity, pollution, rising temperatures and ocean acidification.
