21 October 2014: The UN Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has launched an updated version of its Biodiversity A-Z website. The updated website divides information into biodiversity-related themes and includes two new themes: marine and acronyms.

Biodiversity A-Z aims to provide authoritative information about biodiversity in an accessible, concise and simple manner. Website content includes articles, definitions and factsheets that are meant to be used by both specialists and non-specialists. The website draws content from a variety of sources, including international convention documents, academic publications and reports from international organizations, which are reviewed by experts. The updated website also includes a new search feature that can filter by themes, categories and sub-categories.

The Biodiversity A-Z website now includes four themes. The ‘Areas’ theme provides explanations of different area classifications, including their biodiversity significance and level of protection, and factsheets on areas of biodiversity importance. The ‘Marine’ theme provides factsheets on marine-related features and areas of important marine biodiversity as well as information and links to relevant marine conventions. The ‘Acronyms’ theme defines over 250 acronyms that are commonly used in conservation. The ‘Terms’ theme presents biodiversity terminology. [UNEP-WCMC Press Release] [Biodiversity A-Z Website]