News

As for previous years, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) has again released its annual list of the top-ten marine species described by researchers during the past year to coincide with World Taxonomist Appreciation Day on March 19th.

Over two weeks, participants of the Isopod species discovery workshop worked through hundreds of specimens collected from expeditions ranging from Madagascar and New Zealand to the Arctic. The results were astonishing!

Following the Ocean Census-JAMSTEC expedition, scientists have confirmed the discovery of 38 new species and identified 28 further potential new species across two of Japan’s most understudied deep-sea regions: the Nankai Trough and the Shichiyo Seamount Chain.

In a bustling workshop room in Senckenberg am Meer, the air hums with the soft excitement of species discovery. Here, early-career researchers from across the world, as well as mid-career to retired experts, have gathered for a species discovery workshop, united by a shared fascination of isopods.

Building on the success of our co-founder Nekton’s First Descent: Comoros 2025 mission, this Species Discovery Workshop took place at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) in Makhanda from January 26 to February 13, 2026.

They say that two is better than one, and for some marine species, living as a pair means that they are able to survive, adapt, and thrive in complex and often challenging underwater environments.

A team of international scientists from UiT (The Arctic University of Norway), have discovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep ever, located 3,640 metres below the surface on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea.

In 2025, the Ocean Census achieved exciting milestones in advancing the understanding and discovery of marine biodiversity.

In the spirit of the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” we’ve gathered twelve remarkable marine species whose colours, shapes, and surprising behaviors capture the wonder of the season.