In a world where more than 80% of the ocean remains unexplored, a global alliance known as Ocean Census has done what many considered improbable: uncovered over 850 previously unknown marine species in just 16 months. Launched in 2023 by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, this ambitious initiative is designed to fast-track marine species identification and close long-standing gaps in scientific knowledge, UNEP-WCMC reports.

Through a coordinated effort involving 10 expeditions, eight discovery workshops, and over 800 scientists from 400 institutions, the project is redefining how we uncover Earth’s hidden biodiversity treasures.

The Ocean Census identified 866 new marine species in 16 months.

From the Deep to the Database

The discoveries span a staggering range of taxonomic groups—from sharks and octocorals to sea spiders, mud dragons, and venomous snails. Among them is Turridrupa magnifica, a predatory gastropod found off the coasts of New Caledonia and Vanuatu, armed with toxin-injecting harpoons that could one day aid in cancer treatment, according to CNN. This is just one of 100 new turrid gastropods found in the Pacific.

Another standout is a newly identified guitar shark, discovered at around 200 meters depth near Mozambique and Tanzania. This species adds to the critically imperiled Rhinobatos genus—one of the ocean’s most endangered vertebrate families, with two-thirds of its species facing extinction, My Modern Met reports. As apex predators, sharks like these help regulate marine ecosystems, yet their rapid decline remains a growing concern.

Many of these species live in deep or rarely explored waters.

Exploration Meets Innovation

What sets Ocean Census apart isn’t just the scope of its discoveries but the speed and method by which they're catalogued. Traditionally, identifying a new species requires a formal description published in a peer-reviewed journal—a process that can take over a decade. This delay means many species go extinct before they’re ever officially recorded. Ocean Census addresses this bottleneck by introducing a distinction between “species discovered” and “species described,” allowing likely new organisms to be recognized and documented quickly, ECO Magazine reports.

Data from each finding is uploaded to the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform, a collaborative system developed with UNEP-WCMC, IFLScience reports. Linked to the World Register of Marine Species, this platform enables rapid sharing of biodiversity insights in near real-time and is publicly accessible to researchers and conservationists around the world.

Many species go extinct before being formally recorded.

Remote Places, Rare Finds

The locations where many of these species were found are as awe-inspiring as the creatures themselves. Some emerged from depths of nearly 5,000 meters. Others were discovered in coral reefs and shallow waters previously thought well-documented. One such example is the sea star Tylaster sp., collected from the Jøtul Hydrothermal Vent Field in the Arctic—a region known for its extreme conditions and minimal prior exploration, NPR reports. This new specimen joins only one previously recorded species in its genus, first documented in the Norwegian Sea in 1881.

In the Maldives, scientists identified a new species of octocoral with just five relatives known worldwide. Lacking the rigid skeletons of stony corals, these soft-bodied organisms serve as vital shelter and nutrient sources for reef communities. Their presence in such underexplored territories highlights how much remains hidden even in shallower tropical waters.

What Comes Next

The Ocean Census is just getting started. With a goal of identifying 100,000 new species over 10 years, the program plans to embark on another 10 expeditions and host seven more discovery workshops in 2025 alone. These efforts will span the Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans, with findings integrated into the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform to support conservation, policy-making, and climate resilience strategies.

By accelerating species discovery and democratizing access to marine biodiversity data, Ocean Census is reshaping our understanding of ocean life. Each new find is more than a scientific milestone—it’s a reminder that even now, in the age of satellite mapping and AI, the ocean remains a frontier teeming with mystery, wonder, and critical knowledge yet to be surfaced.