Record Discovery of 1,121 New Marine Species in a Single Year

In 2024 Ocean Census reported 1,121 previously unknown marine species, a 54 % rise over the prior year. The tally comes from 13 deep-sea expeditions and nine workshops, with samples from depths to 6,575 m.

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Ocean Census, launched April 2023 by the British nonprofit Nekton and Japan’s Nippon Foundation, aims to accelerate identification of 100,000 marine species. Dr. Michelle Taylor leads science; Oliver Steeds directs the program; Mitsuyuku Unno is the Nippon Foundation executive director. The effort uses RV Falkor (too) and a taxonomic network.

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The program recorded 1,121 new taxa (54 % increase) from 13 expeditions and nine workshops across polar to tropical waters, sampling depths from 15 m to 6,575 m; about 90 % of ocean biodiversity remains undocumented, and reaching 100,000 discoveries is projected to cost at least US$1 billion (vs. US$4.1 billion per Artemis launch).

Mysterious ‘ghost shark’, carnivorous ‘death ball’ sponge, and a worm living in a ‘glass castle’ – more than 1,100 new marine species discovered

The inventory supports the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Ribbon-worm toxins are being studied for Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, and deep-sea organisms contribute to carbon sequestration and habitat formation.

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Officials stress that rapid documentation prevents species loss before formal naming. The NOVA platform records a “discovered” status within days, cutting the historic 13.5-year lag. They note marine discovery costs a fraction of lunar missions and plan six expeditions and five workshops for 2026.

Mysterious ‘ghost shark’, carnivorous ‘death ball’ sponge, and a worm living in a ‘glass castle’ – more than 1,100 new marine species discovered

Taxonomists warn that “discovered” does not replace peer-reviewed description needed for legal protection. Tammy Horton (National Oceanography Centre, UK) calls formal description the species’ “passport.” The list may include known species, and post-2026 funding is unclear.

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• “With many species at risk of disappearing before they are even documented, we are in a race against time to understand and protect ocean life.” — Dr. Michelle Taylor, Head of Science, Ocean Census

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• “We spend billions searching for life on Mars or going to the dark side of the moon. Discovering the majority of life on our own planet — in our own ocean — costs a fraction of that. The question is not whether we can afford to do this. It is whether we can afford not to,” — Oliver Steeds, Director, Ocean Census

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• “This year, Ocean Census has shown what is possible when scientific ambition is matched by global collaboration at scale,” — Mitsuyuku Unno, Executive Director, Nippon Foundation

Marine scientists discover record number of new species

• “The formal description process carries out the actual work to confirm novelty and provides the ‘passport’ for that new species — its official record,” — Tammy Horton, Research Scientist, National Oceanography Centre (UK)

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Ocean Census will launch six deep-sea expeditions and five workshops in 2026, expand NOVA, and pursue its 100,000-species goal to inform global marine policy.

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