Ecosystems within any of these other Realms may be added to the NCMC in future, subject to the development of appropriate measurement metrics.

 

  • The Marine Realm includes a wide variety of ecosystems in and around the edges of the ocean, including shorelines, estuaries and coastal ecosystems.
  • The Subterranean Realm includes different types of cave systems, underground rivers and streams, mines, sewers and tunnels, as well as endolithic microbial communities that are distributed throughout the earth’s crust.
  • The Atmospheric Realm includes all of the earth’s atmosphere, and is still relatively poorly understood in terms of ecosystems.