Biodiversity represents the full spectrum of organisms on Earth, at population, community, and ecosystem levels. The loss and decline of biological diversity are recognised by scientists and the public as a critical challenge for humankind to address. Addressing this global crisis requires knowledge of the diversity of life on Earth, how that diversity functions and interacts, and how it responds to changing environmental pressures. This is why research that transforms our understanding of the variety of life on Earth, at phenotypic or genetic levels, is so important.