Discovery of new species everyday: Is biodiversity increasing?

Moving away from the ocean focus from the past two weeks, todays post explores a recent article by the BBC about the identification of a new wild cat in Brazil by Coles (2013).

Everyday I look on Nature and there is an article about a new species being discovered. These new species are found in a range of locations from Burma to closer to home in the United Kingdom. With new species being discovered everyday, is it possible to make the judgement that biodiversity is possibly increasing on local scales around the world?

Check out the Coles (2013) article and make up your own judgements. It is important to note that we do not know everything about the natural world and therefore to make all encompassing conclusions about global biodiversity, is extremely difficult.  These conclusions are strictly based on the knowledge we do have while accepting the unknown.

Articles to check out:

New species of Hammerhead shark discovered off Carolina coast (Kenniff, 2013)

Spectacular New Species Found in the Lost World (Dell'Amore, 2013).

New Species of 'Skeleton Shrimp' discovered (Vincent, 2013).

Score Board Update: Anthropocene 3 - 2 Biodiversity