Explore with German biologist Matthias Kopfmüller and his team to document one of the world's rich biodiversity in the waters off Indonesia

They still do exist: natural paradises worthy of the title. In Indonesia for example, between the islands Bali and Lombok, German marine biologist Matthias Kopfmüller and his team dive into a one-of-a-kind universe - one of the world's most species-rich regions.

The underwater world in this archipelago is considered the epicenter of biodiversity across the globe. The ocean here is thought to hold millions of different life forms: animals, plants, microorganisms. However, only roughly 230,000 species have been documented. Kopfmüller and his team are attempting to take an inventory, a kind of oceanic census. But the rich variety of creatures paints a deceiving picture, for the destruction of the environment and climate change threaten this paradise too. Underwater and on land, on every continent.

Fifteen years ago the United Nations launched an initiative to battle the destruction of ecosystems across the world. 188 nations and the European Union have signed the treaty to date. In the meantime there is even an annual world summit to preserve biodiversity. This international alliance of nations has set an ambitious goal: reducing the extinction of species on Earth appreciably by 2010.