Protecting Our Oceans: Why the Definition of Biodiversity Matters

Biodiversity is one of the most-used terms in biology, but there are many ways of measuring and interpreting it. Understanding the meaning of the different measures of biodiversity is vitally important for managing and conserving endangered ecosystems. Marine ecosystems are degrading quickly due to human impacts like overfishing, habitat destruction, or climate change. In this article, we introduce and explain three aspects of biodiversity: taxonomic, functional, and food web biodiversity. All three focus on individual species and their roles in ecosystems and food chains. Each aspect of biodiversity is useful in measuring or achieving conservation goals, depending on the type of habitat or environment that is considered. The examples we provide show that finding the best way to protect an ecosystem requires careful consideration of biodiversity from different perspectives, which will remain a challenge for current and future conservationists.