Even though it is a global marine biodiversity hotspot, the contribution of Indonesia to marine species discovery has been disproportionately small, and despite the amount of biodiversity research conducted by local scientists, many species in this country remain undescribed. In this article, we used the discovery rate of Indonesian polychaete species as a case example to investigate the contributory factors leading to the slow rate of marine species discovery in the country. In addition, we evaluated ecological studies on Indonesian polychaetes and enumerated the number of local marine taxonomists along with the number of Indonesian species that they described. We found that throughout Indonesia’s history, the country only had a few marine taxonomists and that past marine species discoveries have been largely dependent on overseas scientists. This has been the primary factor causing the slow rate of marine species discovery in the country and has led to limited taxonomic literature on local species, resulting in many species either remaining unidentified or incorrectly identified, as local researchers typically used identification keys written for other geographic regions. We further found that limited access to natural history collections, uneven distribution of research facilities, a lack of collaborative research and funding, and strict requirements for research permits for foreign researchers have also hampered discoveries of marine species new to science in Indonesia. Long term recruitment of local marine taxonomists through the job vacancies regularly offered (annually) by the Indonesian government along with taxonomic training by relevant governmental research institutions are the first immediate actions to address these problems. Moreover, collaborative work and the establishment of Indonesian marine reference collections, databases, and identification keys are other strategies to end taxonomic impediments in the nation. For polychaetes, provided that such actions are made, our model forecasts that between 120 and 270 more Indonesian species will be discovered by the end of this century. Any taxonomic investigations conducted in the Coral Triangle are likely to uncover greater numbers of undescribed marine species compared to any other location in Indonesia or the world.

Opinions and declarations Rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature