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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.

In July 2026, taxonomic experts will gather in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the Ocean Census Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) Argentina Species Discovery Workshop. Continuing the legacy of the SOI Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon expedition (2025), the workshop is the next stage in highlighting the marine biodiversity of this underexplored South Atlantic ecosystem.

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.

World’s largest mission to accelerate species discovery reveals extraordinary new life forms from some of Earth’s most extreme and unexplored environments.

The Ocean Census drove species discovery forward in year 3 through global expeditions, an expanded science network, and the launch of the Ocean Census NOVA data platform.

This World Art Day (15th April), the Ocean Census is highlighting the enduring craft of scientific sketches. In an era dominated by digital documentation, this hand-drawn approach to specimen identification demonstrates that careful, observational practice remains as vital as ever in the discovery and understanding of new species.

Marine taxonomists from CSIRO and the Ocean Census have identified more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species from the Coral Sea, with that number likely to exceed 200 as more cryptic species are identified. 

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.