About
- About Us
  About
  Endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade, The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census is the largest global mission to accelerate the discovery of ocean life. The Ocean Census is revolutionising species discovery, accelerating the pace at which new marine life is identified and studied.
- The Mission
  The Mission
  With climate change and human activity altering ecosystems faster than we can study them, we are in a race against time to discover and protect the ocean’s unknown species before they disappear. Without knowing what life exists in the ocean, we cannot protect it.
- The Alliance
  The Alliance
  The Ocean Census Alliance is a growing network of scientists, governments, marine institutes, museums, philanthropy, technology, media and civil society partners working together to accelerate species discovery.
- FAQs
  FAQs
  This FAQ section answers common questions about the Ocean Census, our research, expeditions, and the impact of species discovery. If you don’t find what you're looking for, feel free to get in touch.
- Team
  The Team
  The Ocean Census Hub is made up of scientists, explorers, technologists, and communicators dedicated to accelerating species discovery and expanding our understanding of ocean life.
- Contact
  Contact
  For general inquiries, partnership opportunities, or media requests, contact us, and a member of our team will get back to you.
Get Involved
- Scientists
  Scientists
  Join scientists from institutions worldwide who are pioneering a new era of marine research. The Ocean Census is accelerating species discovery through global collaboration, advanced technology, and open-access data.
- Research Institutes
  Research Institutes
  Research institutes play a critical role in the Ocean Census mission, helping to expand the reach and impact of the Ocean Census.
- Business & Enterprises
  Business & Enterprises
  The Ocean Census Alliance is working with businesses and enterprises to accelerate marine species discovery, develop ocean technology, and support biodiversity conservation.
- Civil Society Organisations
  Civil Society Organisations
  Civil Society Organisations - including NGOs and conservation groups - play a vital role in ensuring that marine biodiversity research informs real-world action.
- Philanthropy & Founders
  Philanthropy & Founders
  With millions of species yet to be identified, philanthropic funding is critical to supporting taxonomy, funding expeditions, and developing open-access biodiversity resources.
- All Ways to Get Involved
  Get Involved
  There are many ways to get involved—scientists, research institutes, governments, philanthropic organisations, businesses, media, and civil society all play a vital role.
Science Network
- The Network
  Science Network
  The Ocean Census Science Network is a worldwide community of marine biologists, taxonomists, geneticists, ecologists, and conservationists working together to accelerate species discovery and expand our knowledge of ocean life.
- Join the Network
  Join the Network
  Gain access to expeditions, Discovery Workshops, research funding, training, and a global community of scientists working to uncover the ocean’s hidden biodiversity.
- Register Discovery
  Register Your Discovery
  Register an ocean species with the Ocean Census to ensure your discovery is documented and contributes to global marine biodiversity records.
Discoveries
- Discovery Spotlight
  Discoveries
  Explore some of the remarkable species uncovered by the Ocean Census Science Network, and access the full database of discoveries through the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.
- Register Your Discovery
  Register Your Discovery
  Register an ocean species with the Ocean Census to ensure your discovery is documented and contributes to global marine biodiversity records.
News & Media

FOUNDING PARTNERS

About
- About Us
  About
  Endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade, The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census is the largest global mission to accelerate the discovery of ocean life. The Ocean Census is revolutionising species discovery, accelerating the pace at which new marine life is identified and studied.
- The Mission
  The Mission
  With climate change and human activity altering ecosystems faster than we can study them, we are in a race against time to discover and protect the ocean’s unknown species before they disappear. Without knowing what life exists in the ocean, we cannot protect it.
- The Alliance
  The Alliance
  The Ocean Census Alliance is a growing network of scientists, governments, marine institutes, museums, philanthropy, technology, media and civil society partners working together to accelerate species discovery.
- FAQs
  FAQs
  This FAQ section answers common questions about the Ocean Census, our research, expeditions, and the impact of species discovery. If you don’t find what you're looking for, feel free to get in touch.
- Team
  The Team
  The Ocean Census Hub is made up of scientists, explorers, technologists, and communicators dedicated to accelerating species discovery and expanding our understanding of ocean life.
- Contact
  Contact
  For general inquiries, partnership opportunities, or media requests, contact us, and a member of our team will get back to you.
Get Involved
- Scientists
  Scientists
  Join scientists from institutions worldwide who are pioneering a new era of marine research. The Ocean Census is accelerating species discovery through global collaboration, advanced technology, and open-access data.
- Research Institutes
  Research Institutes
  Research institutes play a critical role in the Ocean Census mission, helping to expand the reach and impact of the Ocean Census.
- Business & Enterprises
  Business & Enterprises
  The Ocean Census Alliance is working with businesses and enterprises to accelerate marine species discovery, develop ocean technology, and support biodiversity conservation.
- Civil Society Organisations
  Civil Society Organisations
  Civil Society Organisations - including NGOs and conservation groups - play a vital role in ensuring that marine biodiversity research informs real-world action.
- Philanthropy & Founders
  Philanthropy & Founders
  With millions of species yet to be identified, philanthropic funding is critical to supporting taxonomy, funding expeditions, and developing open-access biodiversity resources.
- All Ways to Get Involved
  Get Involved
  There are many ways to get involved—scientists, research institutes, governments, philanthropic organisations, businesses, media, and civil society all play a vital role.
Science Network
- The Network
  Science Network
  The Ocean Census Science Network is a worldwide community of marine biologists, taxonomists, geneticists, ecologists, and conservationists working together to accelerate species discovery and expand our knowledge of ocean life.
- Join the Network
  Join the Network
  Gain access to expeditions, Discovery Workshops, research funding, training, and a global community of scientists working to uncover the ocean’s hidden biodiversity.
- Register Discovery
  Register Your Discovery
  Register an ocean species with the Ocean Census to ensure your discovery is documented and contributes to global marine biodiversity records.
Discoveries
- Discovery Spotlight
  Discoveries
  Explore some of the remarkable species uncovered by the Ocean Census Science Network, and access the full database of discoveries through the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.
- Register Your Discovery
  Register Your Discovery
  Register an ocean species with the Ocean Census to ensure your discovery is documented and contributes to global marine biodiversity records.
News & Media

Get involved

Whether you’re a technologist, educator, policy maker, citizen scientist or undertaking marine expeditions, there’s a critical role you can play.

Join Network Join Alliance Get Involved

About
- About Us
  About
  Endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade, The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census is the largest global mission to accelerate the discovery of ocean life. The Ocean Census is revolutionising species discovery, accelerating the pace at which new marine life is identified and studied.
- The Mission
  The Mission
  With climate change and human activity altering ecosystems faster than we can study them, we are in a race against time to discover and protect the ocean’s unknown species before they disappear. Without knowing what life exists in the ocean, we cannot protect it.
- The Alliance
  The Alliance
  The Ocean Census Alliance is a growing network of scientists, governments, marine institutes, museums, philanthropy, technology, media and civil society partners working together to accelerate species discovery.
- FAQs
  FAQs
  This FAQ section answers common questions about the Ocean Census, our research, expeditions, and the impact of species discovery. If you don’t find what you're looking for, feel free to get in touch.
- Team
  The Team
  The Ocean Census Hub is made up of scientists, explorers, technologists, and communicators dedicated to accelerating species discovery and expanding our understanding of ocean life.
- Contact
  Contact
  For general inquiries, partnership opportunities, or media requests, contact us, and a member of our team will get back to you.
Get Involved
- Scientists
  Scientists
  Join scientists from institutions worldwide who are pioneering a new era of marine research. The Ocean Census is accelerating species discovery through global collaboration, advanced technology, and open-access data.
- Research Institutes
  Research Institutes
  Research institutes play a critical role in the Ocean Census mission, helping to expand the reach and impact of the Ocean Census.
- Business & Enterprises
  Business & Enterprises
  The Ocean Census Alliance is working with businesses and enterprises to accelerate marine species discovery, develop ocean technology, and support biodiversity conservation.
- Civil Society Organisations
  Civil Society Organisations
  Civil Society Organisations - including NGOs and conservation groups - play a vital role in ensuring that marine biodiversity research informs real-world action.
- Philanthropy & Founders
  Philanthropy & Founders
  With millions of species yet to be identified, philanthropic funding is critical to supporting taxonomy, funding expeditions, and developing open-access biodiversity resources.
- All Ways to Get Involved
  Get Involved
  There are many ways to get involved—scientists, research institutes, governments, philanthropic organisations, businesses, media, and civil society all play a vital role.
Science Network
- The Network
  Science Network
  The Ocean Census Science Network is a worldwide community of marine biologists, taxonomists, geneticists, ecologists, and conservationists working together to accelerate species discovery and expand our knowledge of ocean life.
- Join the Network
  Join the Network
  Gain access to expeditions, Discovery Workshops, research funding, training, and a global community of scientists working to uncover the ocean’s hidden biodiversity.
- Register Discovery
  Register Your Discovery
  Register an ocean species with the Ocean Census to ensure your discovery is documented and contributes to global marine biodiversity records.
Discoveries
- Discovery Spotlight
  Discoveries
  Explore some of the remarkable species uncovered by the Ocean Census Science Network, and access the full database of discoveries through the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.
- Register Your Discovery
  Register Your Discovery
  Register an ocean species with the Ocean Census to ensure your discovery is documented and contributes to global marine biodiversity records.
News & Media

Yohei Sasakawa

Chair, The Nippon
Foundation

Yohei Sasakawa is Chair of The Nippon Foundation, Japan’s largest charitable foundation. After 20 years in the business sector, Sasakawa joined the foundation in 1981, became President from 1989 and Chair since 2005. Mr Sasakawa’s leadership brings together entities from the political, governmental, academic, and private sectors in addressing a wide range of issues including health, education, food security and the ocean – the latter notably across ocean science, exploration, conservation, policy and maritime safety.

Join the census

An alliance of scientists, governments, marine research institutes, museums, philanthropy, technology, media and civil society partners.

Join the Science Network Register a New Species Discovery Join the Mission

Get involved

Yohei Sasakawa

Chair, The Nippon Foundation

Join the census

Follow our progress

Chair, The Nippon
Foundation