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Ocean Census: 1,121 New Species Discovered!
5 Aug
Summary
- Over 1,100 new marine species were identified in a single year.
- Discoveries include ghost sharks and unique deep-sea worms.
- A new platform aims to speed up species documentation from years to weeks.
A massive global scientific undertaking has successfully identified 1,121 new marine species within a single year, marking a significant 54% increase in the annual rate of discovery. These findings stem from 13 expeditions and nine workshops, with some specimens collected from depths as extreme as 6,575 meters.
Among the remarkable discoveries is a new species of ghost shark, a distant relative of sharks and rays, found in Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park. Another notable find is Dalhousiella yabukii, a polychaete worm discovered living within a glass sponge skeleton in Japan's Shichiyo Seamount Chain.
Additional newly identified species include a vibrant ribbon worm from Timor-Leste and a distinctively banded shrimp found near Marseille, France. The broader discoveries encompass numerous corals, crabs, sea urchins, and anemones, underscoring the immense biodiversity yet to be cataloged.
To accelerate the formal description of these species, which historically takes over 13 years, the Ocean Census program has launched NOVA. This open-access digital platform is designed to disseminate species data rapidly, within weeks. The initiative relies on the collaboration of more than 1,400 scientists from 660 institutions across 85 countries.
The discoveries, spanning from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, illustrate the power of global scientific collaboration in exploring diverse marine environments. Organizers are seeking further funding to achieve their ambitious goal of identifying 100,000 new marine species.
