Overview
- The Ocean Census Alliance reported a record 1,121 species discovered between April 2025 and March 2026 through 13 expeditions and nine taxonomic workshops.
- Researchers found 728 of the new species by re-examining museum and institutional collections using microscope work, dissections and DNA testing, showing archives hold large untapped biodiversity.
- Ocean Census launched the Nova open-access platform and a formal 'discovered' status so expert-checked records can be posted within weeks, supported by more than 1,400 taxonomists from about 660 institutions.
- Field and collection finds include a toxin-bearing ribbon worm being studied for possible Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia treatments, a carnivorous sponge at 3,601 meters and deep-water ghost sharks in the Coral Sea.
- Leaders are seeking US$100 million in catalytic capital to scale toward a 100,000-species goal, stressing that formal species descriptions usually take about 13 years and that faster data sharing is needed to guide protection as climate change, pollution, overfishing and mining threaten ocean habitats.