PRESS RELEASE: The Ocean Census 2024 Taxonomy and Event Award Recipients Announced
The Ocean Census, the world’s largest initiative to accelerate ocean species discovery, is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Taxonomy and Event Awards.
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Announcing the recipients...
These funding allocations recognise outstanding applications that demonstrate significant potential to contribute to the discovery and description of new marine species.
Aimed at empowering scientists and researchers in marine taxonomy, the Taxonomy and Event Awards focus on accelerating species discovery and building capacity in this critical field.
With a total fund of $65,000 (USD), the awards will help recipients overcome financial barriers related to fieldwork, specimen preparation, publication and event/conference attendance.
2024 Taxonomy Awardees:
The inaugural Ocean Census Taxonomy Awards have been granted to eleven early-, mid- and senior-career researchers from Germany, the USA, Japan, Peru, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.
The awardees specialise in a diverse groups of marine organisms, including Octocorals (Anthozoa), Chondrichthyans (sharks), and Holothurians (sea cucumbers).
Full List of Award Recipients
This year’s recipients, hailing from countries around the world, are making significant contributions to our understanding of marine biodiversity.
Meet the 2024 award winners who are pushing the boundaries of marine science and helping to protect our oceans’ biodiversity.
"Funds from the Ocean Census Taxonomy Award will not only support new species descriptions but also provide the opportunity for a capacity-building programme to mentor and train graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from several East and Southern African countries in Chondrichthyan taxonomy. Training local researchers in taxonomy is vitally important, given the loss of species diversity in many of these countries,”
About the Taxonomy Awards:
The Ocean Census Taxonomy Awards provide funding ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to taxonomists and scientists within the Ocean Census Science Network. The awards are designed to support a wide range of activities contributing to the discovery and description of new marine species.
These include:
- Access to Specimen Collections: Funding is available to visit and work with type materials and collections, fostering collaboration with other taxonomists to exchange knowledge and enhance research capacity.
- Scientific Equipment and Expertise: Financial support is provided for the use of advanced analytical equipment (e.g. SEM) or for hiring temporary technical assistance for specimen preparation.
- Publication Support: Awards may cover publication costs, although recipients are encouraged to take advantage of zero-cost options such as Zootaxa and the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, both of which offer free publishing for species descriptions
- Citizen Science and Education: The awards also support projects involving education, training courses, or citizen science initiatives focused on taxonomy and systematics.
“The Taxonomy Awards are an exciting time of year for the team at The Ocean Census. These awards allow us to recognise the groundbreaking and ongoing research of the Ocean Census Science Network, empowering their research and the vital work of taxonomists worldwide.”
The Ocean Census Science Event Awards:
This specific funding is allocated to members of the Ocean Census Science Network to attend international conferences and science events. Recipients are also encouraged to present broader findings about the Ocean Census initiative, with the support of pre-prepared templates and resources.
Additionally, awardees will share their achievements through professional networks, expanding the impact of their work and promoting the shared mission of species discovery.
The two award winners for 2024 are based in Japan and New Zealand.
Please click on the button below for a full recipient list and scientist bios.
For more information...
For more information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact:
Kira Coley
Head of Communications
kira@oceancensus.org
+44 (0) 7734 591 811
Application and Eligibility:
Applications for the Taxonomy Awards are now closed.
Any member of the Ocean Census Science Network, including taxonomists and citizen scientists, is eligible to apply for any awards. The awards focus on projects that contribute to the discovery of new marine species, with a preference for research utilising both morphological and genetic approaches. Studies leveraging existing specimen collections are particularly encouraged.
Featured image credits: Amanda Cotton / Ocean Image Bank
Carousel image credits: Octocoral- Katerina Katopis / Ocean Image Bank, Shark- Fabrice Dudenhofer / Ocean Image Bank, Sea Cucumber- Stefan Andrews / Ocean Image Bank
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