Cherisse Persad is an MRes Marine Biology (Deep Sea Biology) student at the University of Plymouth and one of our 2026 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees. Cherisse spent 30 days (29 June – 28 July 2026) on Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor (too) - participating in the Deep Wonders of Trinidad and Tobago expedition. Find out more about her experience and what she learnt from the cruise.

Following the Shinkai JAMSTEC expedition, taxonomists from Japan and around the world gathered at JAMSTEC headquarters in Yokosuka in October 2025 for a dedicated Species Discovery Workshop. Among the expedition's most recent scientific outcomes are a series of studies led by Dr Chong Chen, Senior Scientist with Tenure at JAMSTEC.

After receiving submissions from around the world, the Ocean Census is proud to announce the four recipients of the 2026 Ocean Census Expedition Awards - a programme designed to accelerate global marine species discovery by directly supporting those on the front lines of ocean science.

The Ocean Census is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Species Discovery Awards — a celebration of the pioneering scientists and taxonomists driving the discovery and description of life in our ocean.

Participant scientist, Jackline Adhiambo, recently completed an expedition exploring Kenya's coastal region with the FAO. Here she used her background as the invertebrate expert to support the identification of specimens from trawl catches.

Dr. Clara Diaz is a member of the Ocean Census Science Network and a postdoctoral Research fellow at the University of Plymouth. Clara recently joined the 10-day FAO Tanzania expedition, as part of The Nansen Programme, to explore benthic habitats off the coast of Tanzania.

The Ocean Census is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Species Discovery Awards — a celebration of the pioneering scientists and taxonomists driving the discovery and description of life in our ocean.

After receiving submissions from around the world, the Ocean Census is proud to announce the six recipients of the first-ever Ocean Census Expedition Awards - a new programme designed to accelerate global marine species discovery by directly supporting those on the front lines of ocean science.

Luisa F. Dueñas, a member of the Ocean Census Science Network and Associate Professor in the Biology Department at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, will be representing our network on the upcoming Marshall Islands deep-sea expedition aboard Ocean Exploration Trust's E/V Nautilus.