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New Life in Japan’s Deep Sea: Dr Chong Chen’s Discoveries from the Ocean Census–JAMSTEC Expedition
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.
05/08/26
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Collections revisited: the description of 50 new species of Terebridae
Based on material collected since 1986, this study describes 50 new terebrid species, re-evaluates four synonymised taxa, revises their taxonomic status and generic placement, and resolves long-standing classification challenges within ten genera.
21/07/26
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Molecular Phylogenetic Reexamination of Trigonostomidae Graff, 1905 (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela), with the Resurrection of Messoplana Den Hartog, 1966, and the Description of Four New Species from the United States
Using molecular and morphological analyses of ten trigonostomid species, including eight newly sequenced taxa, this study resolves relationships within Trigonostomidae, resurrects the genus Messoplana, describes four new species, reclassifies another, and refines the family’s phylogenetic framework.
20/07/26
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The Ocean Census Announces 2026 Expedition Awardees
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.
16/07/26
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Revealing the Ocean Life That Inspired a Nation: The Argentina Species Discovery Workshop
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.
13/07/26
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The Ocean Census Announces 2026 Species Discovery Awardees
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.
18/06/26
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Discovery of new shelf and bathyal Tanaellidae Larsen & Wilson, 2002 (Crustacea: Peracarida: Tanaidacea) from Aotearoa New Zealand and the Ross Sea. I. Tanaella and allied genera
Describing five new genera and nine new species of the deep-sea tanaidacean family Tanaellidae from New Zealand and Antarctica. The study highlights their significant contribution to deep-sea biodiversity while showing the family’s evolutionary relationships remain unresolved.
04/06/26
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Greeffiella bellula n. sp. (Nematoda: Desmoscolecida): The First Desmoscolecid Nematode Species to Be Described From New Zealand
A new deep-sea nematode, Greeffiella bellula sp. nov., is described as the first desmoscolecid recorded from New Zealand waters. Phylogenetic analyses confirm its genus placement, provide a revised species key, and challenge existing relationships within Desmoscolecidae.
29/05/26
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PRESS RELEASE: Scientists discover over 1,100 new marine species in landmark Ocean Census
World’s largest mission to accelerate species discovery reveals extraordinary new life forms from some of Earth’s most extreme and unexplored environments.
19/05/26
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The Ocean Census Year 3 Impact Report
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.
15/05/26
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The prevailing artform of taxonomic illustrations
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.
15/04/26
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A review of the taxon Terebra anilis (Gastropoda, Terebridae:), with the description of two large-sized new species
A taxonomic reassessment of Terebra straminea clarifies species identities, validates two historical synonyms, describes two new large-bodied species, and supports the reinstatement of Terebra myuros as a distinct species, refining classification within the group.
04/04/26
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Description of a new Nihonia species from Western Australia (Conoidea: Cochlespiridae)
A new Nihonia species is described from Western Australia and compared with Nihonia maxima Sysoev, 1997, which was described from Indonesia.
04/04/26
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More than 110 new species from the Coral Sea Discovered
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.
01/04/26
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Playing hide and seek: On the identity of Buccinum assimile Reeve, 1846, with a description of a new species
Re-examination of the Buccinum assimile syntype revealed a long-standing misidentification, leading to the description of Aplus dissimilis sp. nov. and the synonymisation of B. assimile with Aplus scacchianus, clarifying species identities.
31/03/26
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WoRMS announces Top 10 Marine Species of 2025
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.
19/03/26
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Streamlining species discovery: More than 100 new species of isopods discovered in just two weeks
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!
18/03/26
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PRESS RELEASE: Japan’s Deep Ocean Reveals Dozens of New Species from Landmark 2025 Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census – JAMSTEC Expedition
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.
10/03/26
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Small Creatures, Big Questions: Early-Career Taxonomists at the Isopod Species Discovery Workshop
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.
19/02/26
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