In a Single Year, Ocean Census Scientists Discovered More than 1,100 New Marine Species

Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the earth, and yet there is so much we have yet to understand about these vast and biodiverse expanses. Even though we’ve recorded tens of thousands of marine creatures over the decades and scientists are discovering new species all the time, we’ve really only scratched the surface. According to The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, up to 90 percent of ocean life remains a mystery.

A major collaborative program involving Schmidt Ocean Institute and many others, Ocean Census is accelerating the pace at which marine life is found and documented. Between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, alone, the initiative’s researchers officially discovered 1,121 new species through 13 expeditions and nine “species discovery workshops” involving leading scientists around the globe.

a recently discovered carnivorous sea sponge with bulbous limbs — Carnivorous “Death Ball” Sponge (Chondrocladia sp.), Phylum: Porifera. Taxonomist: Dr. Javier Francisco Cristobo Rodríguez. Image courtesy of ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute

“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,” says Dr. Michelle Taylor, who is Head of Science for Ocean Census. “Too many species remain in limbo for years because the process of formally describing them is too slow. We urgently need to change that…Every new species—whether a shark or a sponge—deepens our understanding of marine ecosystems and the benefits they provide for the planet.”

Explore hundreds more newly discovered species on the Ocean Census website.

a composite photograph of two recently discovered sea cave shrimp — Sea cave shrimp (Caridion sp.1), Phylum: Arthropoda. Taxonomist: Dr. Hossein Ashrafi. Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Hossein Ashrafi

a recently discovered ribbon worm underwater — Ribbon worm (Drepanophoridae sp.), Phylum: Nemertea. Taxonomist: Dr. Svetlana Maslakova. Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Gustav Paulay

a recently discovered tiny goby fish called a dwarfgoby — Dwarfgoby (Eviota sp.), Phylum: Chordata. Taxonomist: Dr. Chris Goatley. Image courtesy of Chris Goatley/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census

a recently discovered sea creature known as a "sea pen" with orange ruffles — Mystery Ridge Sea Pen (Ptilella sp. OCSS_1146), Phylum: Cnidaria. Taxonomist: Dr. Raissa Hogan. Image courtesy of Paul Satchell/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Schmidt Ocean Institute

a recently discovered "glass castle" worm underwater — “Glass castle” worm (Dalhousiella yabukii), Phylum: Annelida. Taxonomist: Dr. Naoto Jimi. Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/JAMSTEC

a recently discovered type of coral — Nicella sp.1. Phylum: Cnidaria. Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census

a recently discovered orange burrowing sea anemone — Burrowing Sea Anemone (Harenactis sp.), Phylum: Cnidaria. Taxonomist: Dr. Agustín Garese. Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Agustín Garese

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