During the middle of the Miocene epoch, between about 13m and 12m years ago, the sea which once blanketed present-day Peru was home to an array of marine predators of gargantuan proportions.
This dimensional diversity was one reason for choosing tuna from an array of marine fauna, for it suggests that the basic tunaesque shape must possess some desirable hydrodynamic properties.
Offshore, Horseshoe Reef is the Caribbean's largest (and the world's third largest) barrier reef, and the coral atoll is home to a vast array of marine life (and a resting place for wrecks).
"By protecting the vast array of marine life within these rich waters, the United Kingdom has solidified its position as a leader in ocean conservation," said Joshua S Reichert, of the Pew Charitable Trusts, which is working with the UK on technology to monitor the Pitcairn area.
An underwater canyon 800 metres off the shore of Kaikoura is responsible for a rich array of marine animals attracted to the area, including half a dozen species of whale, rare and endangered dolphins, blue penguins, New Zealand fur seals and protected native bird life.
The mass extinction – known as The Great Dying – occurred at the end of the Permian period some 252 million years ago and was by far the worst of the five mass extinctions on Earth in terms of the broad array of marine and terrestrial creatures that it killed off.
