A squat lobster
A squat lobster discovered near Easter Island, one of the many newly identified species by the Ocean Census
Scientists have identified 866 new species as part of the Ocean Census, a global mission to protect and accelerate the discovery of marine life. The creatures include everything from a squat lobster to a deep-sea limpet.
Launched in April 2023, the ten-year project aims to close the gaps in our knowledge of marine life before many species become extinct. “The ocean covers 71 percent of our planet, yet it is said that only around 10 percent of marine life has been discovered so far,” says Michelle Taylor, principal investigator for Ocean Census, in a statement.
The process of formally identifying species can take nearly 14 years to go from the first encounter to a peer-reviewed article, something Ocean Census wants to change. “Our marine environments are facing some extraordinary challenges, and if we want to start understanding biodiversity, connectivity, the biogeography and potential loss, like how this changing climate is going to impact our marine environment, we do have to start finding quicker ways,” Taylor explains to Katie Hunt at CNN.
The species identified in this first update from Ocean Census were found by divers, submersibles and remotely operated robots. They were then analyzed by a collaboration of scientists using techniques like DNA sequencing, high-resolution imaging and machine learning, reports Shanna Hanbury for Mongabay.
A guitar shark
A newly discovered guitar shark Sergey Bogorodsky / The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
David Ebert, dubbed the “Lost Shark Guy,” identified a new species of guitar shark off the coast of Mozambique and Tanzania. There are only 38 known species of guitar shark around the world, and the animal is considered critically endangered.
An octocoral
A unique octocoral Asako Matsumoto / The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
In the Maldives, researchers discovered a new octocoral, so called because each of its polyps has eight tentacles. The coral is one of only five known species of this genus, and the first ever recorded in the Maldives.
A sea snail
These venomous sea snails could unlock medical discoveries. Richard Smith / The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
A predatory gastropod with venomous teeth was found in the waters of New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Related species are already being studied for pain treatments, so these venomous snails could also hold some medical potential.
Other findings include a pygmy pipehorse, barnacle and sea star.
“Too many species remain in limbo for years because the process of formally describing them is too slow,” says Lucy Woodall, head of science at Ocean Census, to Rob Hutchins at Oceanographic magazine. “Every new species—whether a shark or a sponge—deepens our understanding of marine ecosystems and the benefits they provide for the planet.”