Discover Life.

We’ve only discovered 10% of ocean life.

Our vast ocean is full of undiscovered life, holding information that is crucial to our planet’s future and our own existence.

This uncharted wilderness is not just a reservoir of life, it’s our source of air, food, climate regulation, and potential scientific breakthroughs.

75-90% of the estimated 1–2 million marine species remain undiscovered.

Understanding and preserving our unseen ocean is paramount, without this how can we offer it protection?

A revolutionary, new approach to the discovery of ocean life is key to a sustainable future and combating the biodiversity crisis.

Find out more about the action we’re taking.

Launched in 2023 by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, Ocean Census is enabling the development and implementation of a bold strategy and advanced technologies in order to accelerate species discovery worldwide, halt the biodiversity crisis, and meet society’s need for sustainable development.

Our Alliance is key to our success. Together, we’re combating the critical knowledge gap surrounding the diversity and distribution of marine life, by embracing cyber-taxonomy and merging traditional methods with cutting edge science including DNA sequencing, high-resolution digital imaging, and machine learning.

The initiative is inspired by vanguard programmes of the past, including The Challenger Expeditions (1872 – 1976), widely regarded as the birth of modern marine science, and The Census of Marine Life (2000 – 2010).

And we’ve set ourselves an ambitious target – our goal is to discover 100,000 new species within the coming decade and inspire people around the globe.