Ocean Census Identifies 1,121 New Deep-Sea Species as 90% of Marine Life Remains Unknown
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 19
Ocean Census Identifies 1,121 New Deep-Sea Species as 90% of Marine Life Remains Unknown
8 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 19
1,121 previously unknown marine species were identified through the Ocean Census initiative after 13 expeditions and nine discovery workshops accelerated deep-sea cataloging.
Advanced submersibles, high-resolution imaging and an open-access platform helped cut a process that typically takes 13.5 years to publish, putting findings online within days or weeks.
Notable finds included ghost sharks seen deeper than 800 meters off Australia, along with new corals, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins, anemones and bristle worms on Japanese volcanic seamounts.
Scientists estimate up to 90% of marine species are still undiscovered, leaving major gaps in understanding food webs, carbon cycling and ecosystem resilience.
That uncertainty is sharpening the debate over deep-sea mining, as extraction could disrupt poorly mapped ecosystems already under pressure from warming, acidification and overfishing.
As scientists find new species faster than ever, can global laws protect them in time?
What undiscovered cures and technologies remain hidden in the vast, unexplored deep ocean?
To power a green future, must we destroy the undiscovered ecosystems of the deep sea?
1,121 New Marine Species Discovered (2025-2026): The Global Push to Document and Protect Ocean Biodiversity
Overview
From May 2025 to May 2026, Ocean Census announced the discovery of 1,121 new marine species, marking a 54% increase in annual species identification and the largest single-year jump since the program began. These discoveries highlight the vast, unexplored biodiversity hidden within the world’s oceans, especially in the deep sea, which remains one of the planet’s least understood ecosystems. Historically, it was believed that little life could survive in such harsh conditions, but these findings reveal a rich and diverse marine world, emphasizing the importance of continued exploration and scientific collaboration.