The Ocean Census Announces
2025 Expedition Awardees
Ocean Census Expedition Awardees
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.
From the tropical shallows of Brazil and the submarine caves of Japan to the deep-sea canyons of the South Atlantic and the channels of the Arctic circle, this year’s awardees reflect the diversity, ambition, and urgency of our shared mission.
With more than 1,000 scientists and researchers now part of the growing Ocean Census Science Network, the Expedition Awards were launched to support taxonomists, biodiversity experts, and community scientists to participate in high-impact research expeditions. Whether it’s reaching remote dive sites or securing essential equipment, the awards provide critical logistical and financial support to make species discovery possible.
In this inaugural year, a total fund of $35,000 USD has been allocated, with individual awards of up to $7,000 USD. Supported activities include:
- International flights to and from the research expedition,
- Accommodation (up to two nights pre- and post-expedition),
- Sea survival or safety certifications,
- Personal protective equipment (PPE),
- Field science equipment or consumables for species discovery
- Shipping of scientific equipment and biological samples.
These six exceptional researchers have each demonstrated outstanding potential to accelerate species discovery and contribute to Ocean Census’s global knowledge mission.
Dr. Daniel Lauretta
Researcher at CONICET, Argentina
Expedition: Falkor (Too), Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon,
EEZ of Argentina
Dates: July – August 2025
Daniel will join the Falkor (Too) as Lead Scientist, with the Schmidt Ocean Institute to explore one of Argentina’s largest submarine canyons. Using ROV SuBastian, his team is studying the diversity of marine life in one of the largest underwater canyons off the coast of Argentina – the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon.
Prof. Simone Nunes Brandão
Head of the Ostracoda Lab, Federal Rural University
of Pernambuco, Brazil
Expedition: Shallow water (30m) coastal transect,
Northeastern coast of Brazil.
Dates: Late July 2025
Simone will survey coastal zones along the Northeastern coast of Brazil, sampling macroalgae, sediment, and seagrass habitats to extract meio- and macrofauna. According to Simone, this region is one of the least sampled coastal areas on the planet and is under strong anthropogenic impact from pollution, illegal fisheries, deforestation of Mangrove and Restinga and illegal construction.
Dan Ishibashi
MSc student, University of the Ryukyus, Japan
Expedition: JAMSTEC, Submarine caves,
Minamidaito Island, EEZ of Japan
Dates: July – August 2025
Dan will travel with JAMSTEC to explore the deep-sea underwater caves on Minamidaito Island, Ryukyu Islands, Southern Japan, within the Japanese EEZ. During this voyage he will use ROVs and other equipment to collect, identify and describe organisms in deep-sea submarine caves such as Bryozoa.
Dr. Andreas Altenburger
Associate Professor, The Arctic University of Norway
Expedition: One Ocean Expedition II, Northwest Passage
Dates: August – October 2025 (TBC)
Andreas is sailing on the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, where he will traverse the Northwest Passage from Nuuk to Anchorage as part of the One Ocean Expedition II. He will investigate meiofaunal biodiversity in Arctic and sub-Arctic sediments — including Kinorhyncha and Loricifera — contributing baseline data for climate change monitoring.
Ernest Ohandja Nomo
Marine Taxonomist, APCAM, Cameroon
Expedition: Territorial waters of Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea
Dates: October 2025
Ernest will lead a rapid assessment of polychaete annelids across 20 sampling sites from the Wouri estuary (north of the Cameroonian coast) to the Manyangue Na Elombo Campo Marine Park (in the south). His shore-based research will document biodiversity in some of West Africa’s most ecologically important but under-studied habitats.
Jan M. Tapia-Guerra
PhD Candidate, Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile
Expedition: Falkor (Too), Submarine canyons, EEZ of Uruguay
Dates: August – September 2025
Jan will join a pioneering deep-sea survey off Uruguay’s coast, exploring sponge fields, coral gardens, and cold seeps using ROVs. His data will help inform marine spatial planning and support the creation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The Ocean Census 2025 Expedition Awards Further Information
Join the Ocean Census Science Network
Sign up for updates via our newsletter
Reach out: expeditions@oceancensus.org
Related News
Join the census
An Alliance of scientists, governments, marine research institutes, museums, philanthropy, technology, media and civil society partners.
