From pink river dolphins to "fire" monkeys: 381 new species were discovered in the delicate ecosystem of the Amazon Rainforest between 2014 and 2015, one every two days, according to the new report compiled by WWF and the Institute for Sustainable Development, entitled New species of vertebrates and plants in the Amazon 2014-2015.

The presentation of the document, which took place in São Paulo, Brazil yesterday, comes just hours after the news of the suspension of the Temer decree, which would have put the Reserva nacional de Cobre e Associadas (Renca) at risk through the construction of new mines.

The discoveries, rather than declining over time, have in fact increased: whereas between 1999 and 2009 new species numbered "only" 111 per year — one every three days — and in the period 2010–2013 there were 441, that is one every 3.3 days, the increase recorded between 2014 and 2015 confirms not only the extraordinary richness of Amazonian biodiversity, but also the enormous gaps in our knowledge of it.

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The new species

Among the new species, the following are of particular note:

Inia araguaiaensis

A pink river dolphin whose population is estimated at 1,000 individuals and which is threatened by the construction of new hydroelectric dams;

Plecturocebus miltoni

A monkey with an orange tail (and for this reason known as the "fire" monkey), threatened by deforestation;

Zimmerius chicomendesi

A bird species whose name pays tribute to the environmentalist Chico Mendes, who played a key role in denouncing the abuses and destruction of the Amazon.

Nystalus obamai

Another bird named after former United States president Barack Obama.

The opportunities offered by the report

According to WWF's aims, the report should also serve to put pressure on political decision-makers and on companies with interests in the Amazon, focusing attention on the impacts that the construction of roads, dams and mines could have on the entire area. The study is also intended to identify the zones most sensitive in terms of animal and plant biodiversity.

As Ricardo Mello, coordinator of the WWF-Brazil Amazon programme, recalled, "The biodiversity of the Amazon must be known and protected" — not only for research purposes, but for economic ones too. "Studies indicate that the greatest economic potential of a region like the Amazon lies in incorporating biodiversity into the technological solutions of a new development model."