WASHINGTON: Just 200 years ago, tens of thousands of whales swam the waters around New Zealand while sharks patrolled the British coastlines, say researchers who tell of lost abundance in the world's oceans.

Around 100 global experts have united under a group called the Census of Marine Life to study the state of the Earth's waters from a historical viewpoint and how advances in technology have wielded devastation on sealife.

The decade-long project brought researchers to Vancouver, Canada yesterday and aims to publish its final report in 2010 with inputs from historical accounts as well as geological, botanical and archeological research.