World’s largest mission to accelerate species discovery reveals extraordinary new life forms from some of Earth’s most extreme and unexplored environments
- Scientists have found 1,121 previously unknown species, fast-tracking discovery and marking a 54% jump in annual identification.
- Discoveries from depths of up to 6,575m include a new species of deep-sea ghost shark, a symbiotic bristle worm living within a ‘glass castle’, as well as corals, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins, and anemones.
- Led by The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, this global effort included 13 expeditions and 9 species discovery workshops with leading scientists across the world.
LONDON, May 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scientists have discovered 1,121 marine species in a single year, marking a significant step forward in efforts to document life in the world’s oceans. From the ‘Ghost Shark’ Chimaera, a distant relative of sharks and rays in the Coral Sea, to symbiotic worms on volcanic seamounts in Japan, the findings uncover a complex array of life beneath the ocean surface.
The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, the world’s largest mission to accelerate ocean species discovery, marks a pivotal third year with 13 expeditions across some of the world’s most remote and least explored ocean regions, in partnership with JAMSTEC, CSIRO and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
With up to 90% of ocean species still undiscovered, the findings highlight both the sheer scale of life yet to be documented and the importance of building scientific data that policymakers and marine managers need to protect the ocean.
Dr. Michelle Taylor, Head of Science at Ocean Census said: "With many species at risk of disappearing before they are even documented, we are in a race against time to understand and protect ocean life. For too long, thousands of species have remained in a scientific 'limbo' because the pace of discovery couldn't keep up. We are now breaking that bottleneck. By accelerating discovery and sharing data globally, we are not just finding new life, but generating the evidence needed to drive global science and policy at a critical moment."
Species Spotlights:
The ‘Ghost Shark’ Chimaera (Chimaera sp. 1)
Location: Coral Sea Marine Park, Australia Depth: 802–838 metres
Often called "ghost sharks," chimaeras are among the most mysterious inhabitants of the deep ocean. Distant relatives of sharks and rays, they diverged into a distinct evolutionary lineage nearly 400 million years ago - predating the dinosaurs. The species was discovered by taxonomist Dr William White during a CSIRO expedition to the Coral Sea Marine Park, off the Queensland coast. Today, a third of sharks, rays and chimaeras are vulnerable to extinction.
‘Life in a Glass Castle’ Symbiotic Worm (Dalhousiella yabukii):
Location: Shichiyo Seamount Chain, Japan Depth: 791 metres
Discovered on a volcanic seamount during the 2025 Ocean Census JAMSTEC-Shinkai Japan expedition, this polychaete worm makes its home inside a ‘glass castle’: the intricate chambers of a glass sponge, a creature with a skeleton made of crystalline silica. Named after the mission's principal investigator, Dr Akinori Yabuki, this discovery was made by Dr Nato Jimi and published in The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Ribbon Worm (Drepanophoridae sp.1)
Location: Timor-Leste Depth: 1 - 5 metres
The striking pigmentation of this ribbon worm may serve as a visual warning to predators; a signal of the potent chemical defences common to the phylum Nemertea. Beyond their ecological role as predators, these worms may have biomedical significance; some of their unique toxins have been investigated as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. Discovered by Dr Svetlana Maslakova, the worms are less than 3cm long and their vivid pigmentation serves as a warning to predators, signalling potent chemical defences.
Mediterranean Shrimp (Caridion sp. 1)
Location: Marseille, France Depth: 15-35 metres
A striking new species of shrimp found in a sea cave off Marseille proves that major marine discoveries are still being made right on Europe’s Mediterranean coast. Defined by its vivid orange banding and intricate appendages, the specimen was identified by taxonomist Dr Hossein Ashrafi, building critical data for effective conservation in the pressured Mediterranean region.
Mitsuyuku Unno, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, said: "This year, Ocean Census has shown what is possible when scientific ambition is matched by global collaboration at scale. Through expeditions reaching polar depths to tropical seas, and the science to turn samples into discoveries, this team is revealing the extraordinary richness of ocean life.”
Powering Ocean Discovery: New Open Access Platform NOVA
Historically, the average time between a species' initial discovery and its formal ‘description’ in scientific literature is 13.5 years - meaning species are at risk of extinction before they are even catalogued. To address this, Ocean Census and collaborators are recognising ‘discovered’ as a formal scientific status that can be immediately recorded in NOVA, a new digital platform for marine species data.
Ocean Census NOVA makes collected data available within weeks, or even days, through a systematic, transparent and open access approach. Driving NOVA and Ocean Census is a science network of over 1,400 contributing taxonomists and scientists from 660 institutions in 85 countries.
Bridging the Knowledge Gap for Global Action
These 1,121 new marine species represent the outputs from a coordinated global alliance committed to transforming the speed at which we can discover marine life. High-quality data of this kind is the foundation for international action, providing the vital science required for the High Seas ‘Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction’ Treaty and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. As the Ocean Census scales, its global network and open-access platform, NOVA, will help ensure that this critical data is available to inform global decision-making.
Ocean Census has spent three years building the systems, networks, and infrastructure required to discover ocean life at speed and scale. The method is proven - now it must be applied at the pace the challenge demands. Ocean Census co-founder, Nekton, is seeking $100M in catalytic capital to unlock $75M+ already pledged by partners, driving progress toward the ambition of discovering 100,000 new marine species.
Oliver Steeds, Director of Ocean Census, said: "We spend billions searching for life on Mars or going to the dark side of the moon. Discovering the majority of life on our own planet - in our own ocean - costs a fraction of that. The question is not whether we can afford to do this. It is whether we can afford not to."
Editors Notes:
Media can access Images in the press kit here.
Newsroom Film: Associated Press Newsroom Archive
Discovery period: 1 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Highlights include:
- Expeditions: Including the JAMSTEC-Shinkai, a 20-day expedition with the Japanese Agency of Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), First Descent: Comoros, partnering with Nekton, and the Coral Sea Marine Park, partnering with CSIRO, Parks Australia & Bushblitz.
- Species Discovery Workshops: Held this year in Australia, Chile, Japan, Germany, South Africa, and India with specialised taxonomists to identify samples from recent expeditions and existing collections in real-time.
- Expedition Awards: Enabled scientists to make discoveries in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the Arctic, and Cameroon, supporting equitable global participation of researchers in expeditions.
- Species Discovery Awards: 25 awards were granted to taxonomists across 14 countries this year, fueling the identification of 728 species from recently collected material and museum backlogs.
| Press Contacts: | ||
| Chloe Thompson | chloe.thompson@greenhouse.agency | +44 7710 505 557 |
| Ella Ticktin-Smith | ella.ticktin-smith@greenhouse.agency | +44 7867 432 219 |
| Jack Hogan | press@oceancensus.org | +44 7444668184 |
Available for interview:
Dr Michelle Taylor, Head of Science, Ocean Census
Oliver Steeds, Director, Ocean Census
Mr Mitsuyuki Unno, Executive Director of the Nippon Foundation
Taxonomists
Dr William White, CSIRO: Ichthyologist who discovered the Ghost Shark and many others from the Coral Sea Marine Park Expedition.
Dr Hiromi Kayama Watanabe, JAMSTEC: Deep-Sea Biologist and expert in chemosynthetic ecosystems who led the biological survey of Japan’s volcanic seamounts.
Prof. Svetlana Maslakova, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology: Specialist in Ribbon worms (Nemertea), and contributed over 100 new species submissions to NOVA.
Dr. Agustín Garese, National University of Mar del Plata (Argentina): Ocean Census Species Discovery Awardee Studying sea anemone diversity in Austral Patagonia
Definitions:
Discovered
A species is classified as ‘discovered’ when experts determine—based on morphological evidence, ecological context, and/or, where appropriate, genetic data—that it represents a taxon new to science. Species discoveries are made available here on Ocean Census NOVA.
Described
A species is considered ‘described’ after a taxonomic description or diagnosis is published with a valid scientific name assigned and a holotype deposited in a recognised institutional collection.
About Ocean Census NOVA: The data platform for marine species discovery
NOVA is the world’s only open-access platform dedicated to recording and exploring discovered marine species. It enables scientists anywhere in the world to submit discoveries directly, including images, metadata, and taxonomic remarks - long before formal species descriptions are published.
About The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census
The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census is the world’s largest initiative dedicated to accelerating the discovery of ocean life. Although the ocean covers over 70% of the planet, it remains one of Earth’s least explored ecosystems, with only about 240,000 marine species formally documented—while millions more are thought to remain undiscovered.
Launched in April 2023 by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, Ocean Census is a global mission designed to close this knowledge gap. Through major expeditions, advanced technologies and a worldwide scientific network, the programme is transforming how quickly we can document and understand marine life. Ocean Census is endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade and supported by partners across science, media, philanthropy, business and civil society.
About The Nippon Foundation
The Nippon Foundation is Japan’s largest philanthropic foundation. Since 1962, it has supported projects in education, healthcare, food security, and ocean conservation. The Foundation plays a pivotal role in advancing marine science in Japan and globally, through partnerships with leading scientific institutions.
About Nekton
Nekton explores the ocean to make discoveries that matter. By translating exploration into impactful stories and actionable data, Nekton drives the policy and public action required to protect the deep sea. Nekton achieves this at scale through co-design and collaboration—working with over 190 international partners and a network of scientists from 650+ marine institutes worldwide. Together, they are building an ocean that is more deeply valued, understood, and protected as the foundation of all life on Earth.
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