NewCritters.com

And we’re back! After a little hiatus we are back and ready to start telling you about the new species being discovered all the time.

To start things off….The Blue Auction! Where you can bid for the naming rights of 10 marine species. Also up for bid is a chance to go on an expedition with scientists and search for more undiscovered marine species.

Francesco M. Bongiovanni, President of the Monaco-Asia Society, Peter Seligmann, Chairman & CEO of Conservation International, Hugh Edmeades, Chariman of Christie’s,

are pleased to present The Blue Auction, which shall take place at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, Principality of Monaco, on September 20th, 2007
under the High Patronage and in the presence of

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco

and for the benefit of marine biodiversity conservation programs undertaken by
Conservation International

All of the species in The Blue Auction were discovered by world-renowned fish scientist Dr. Gerry Allen and CI’s Bird’s Head Regional Coordinator Dr. Mark Erdmann during surveys in the Bird’s Head in 2006 and 2007, and the descriptions of the species (save for their commemorative names) have already been prepared by them. Dr. Allen has described over 400 species of fish during his illustrious career, and has arranged for all of The Blue Auction species descriptions to be published in a single special edition of the scientific journal Aqua, the International Journal of Ichthyology in the final quarter of 2007. The winning bidders for each of The Blue Auction species will receive a large format photograph of the species with the commemorative species name embossed on the photograph, in addition to both hard copy and electronic versions of the special edition of Aqua formalizing their species name.