From decomposing waste to building coral reefs, invertebrates provide structure to ecosystems

• Invertebrate of the year 2024: all hail Earth’s spineless heroes
• Nominate your UK invertebrate species of the year

From the moon jellyfish to the humble garden snail, invertebrates play a central – and often invisible – role in shaping our world. Numbering in their millions, species of insects, arachnids, snails, crustaceans, corals, jellyfish, sponges and echinoderms are among the least understood animals on Earth, often overshadowed by their vertebrate cousins.

We asked scientists to tell us about how invertebrates shape our world and structure its ecosystems – and the unforeseen consequences of their disappearance.