Ocean Census Uncovers 1,121 Marine Species in 13 Expeditions as 90% of Ocean Life Remains Unknown
Updated
Updated · Oceanographic Magazine · May 19
Ocean Census Uncovers 1,121 Marine Species in 13 Expeditions as 90% of Ocean Life Remains Unknown
9 articles · Updated · Oceanographic Magazine · May 19
1,121 previously unknown marine species were identified across 13 Ocean Census expeditions in 2025, marking the project’s biggest discovery milestone so far.
90% of marine species are still undocumented, and researchers say the push is urgent because many organisms could disappear before science formally records them.
Finds ranged from a ghost shark at 802-838 meters in Australia’s Coral Sea to a sponge-dwelling worm off Japan, a ribbon worm in Timor-Leste and a shrimp in a Marseille sea cave.
Ocean Census says its new NOVA platform can publish specimen data within days or weeks, cutting into a historical 13.5-year lag between collection and formal description.
The data is meant to support global conservation rules including the High Seas treaty, while Nekton seeks $100 million to help document 100,000 new species.
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.