Marine biodiversity research has evolved from field observations to powerful global modeling frameworks that reveal the ocean’s hidden patterns of life. In this talk, Gabriel Reygondeau will trace that evolution—from the creation of FishBase, which revolutionized ecological synthesis, to the development of AquaMaps 2.0, a next-generation platform integrating machine learning, high-resolution environmental data, and ensemble forecasting. Capable of projecting the distributions of more than 30,000 marine species, AquaMaps 2.0 generates detailed global maps of species richness, rarity, and phylogenetic diversity, providing new insights into biogeographic patterns, conservation priorities, and how climate change is reshaping biodiversity across our planet’s oceans.