A new species of guitar shark, a deep-sea mollusc with potential in cancer treatment development, and the first octocoral to be discovered in the Maldives; these are just three of the more than 800 marine species newly discovered by scientists working across the world’s largest mission to unlock the mysteries of life in the ocean.

Marking a “significant step” in advancing our understanding of ocean biodiversity, the 866 new species to be detailed in total this week is just a fraction of the some 100,000 species that the mission – working under the The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census umbrella – aims to uncover in the coming years.

The overarching goal of this mission is to not only elucidate the mysteries of the ocean but to transform marine science and its approach to new species identification, by accelerating the process and closing the critical gaps in knowledge of life underwater before it’s too late.

The mission was born of the belief that one of the biggest hurdles marine biology faces in engaging both the public and private sectors is the long and drawn-out process for identifying new species, taking up to – in some cases – 14 years for formal identification to be made complete. 

By this point, the Nippon Foundation and Nekton have argued, many of the species actually go extinct before they are even documented. It’s this that formed the basis of the mission – an international collaborative effort comprising some 800 scientists from over 400 institutions around the world launched in April 2023 with the aim of transforming and accelerating these current approaches.

“The ocean covers 71% of our planet, yet it is said that only 10% of marine life has been discovered so far, leaving an estimated 1 to 2 million species still undocumented,” said Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation. “These latest findings demonstrate how international collaboration can advance our understanding of ocean biodiversity.”

The Ocean Census global alliance has conducted – to date – ten global expeditions and hosted eight Species Discovery Workshops, awarding 19 Species Discovery Awards to taxonomists worldwide. 

Among the findings, a new species of shark, sea butterfly, mud dragon, bamboo coral, water bear, octocoral, sponge, shrimp, crab, reef fish, squat lobster, pipehorse, limpet, hooded shrimp, sea spiders, and brittle stars encompassing dozens of taxonomic groups have now all been registered to the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.

The beta platform, developed in partnership with the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre is now accessible to researchers and the public alike.

Using divers, submersibles, and remotely operated vehicles all these new species were identified from depths of one to 4,990 metres. Among the most notable discoveries were:

A new species of guitar shark – only the 38th known species of guitar shark worldwide found at around 200m depths off Mozambique and Tanzania by the world-renowned shark expert, David Ebert; 

A Turridrupa magnifica – a marine gastropod at 200 to 500m depths off New Caledonia and Vanatau by Dr Peter Stahlschmidt, and a species that produces peptides with potential applications in pain relief and cancer treatment;

And a new octocoral – found in the Maldives by Aishath Sarah Hashim & Aminath Nasath Shanaan from the Maldives Marine Research Institute; one of only five known species of this genus and the first recorded in the Maldives.

The mission has gone many lengths to highlight the current problems surrounding the identification and classification process when it comes to new species, primarily that it can take years between being first encountered by scientists, being formally described and being published in a scientific journal.

“Too many species remain in limbo for years because the process of formally describing them is too slow,” said Professor Lucy Woodall, head of science at Ocean Census. “We urgently need to change that and adding the Species Discovery step gives us a way to rapidly start the process.

“Every new species – whether a shark or a sponge – deepens our understanding of marine ecosystems and the benefits they provide for the planet.”

Since the launch of the mission in 2023, Ocean Census has managed to pioneer new methods, forge new partnerships, and establish a new global network of participating scientists. Endorsed under the United Nations Ocean Decade, the Ocean Census has formed such partnerships with national marine research institutes, museums, universities, philanthropic organisations, and technology partners. 

Oliver Steeds, director of the Ocean Census, said: “Our estimates suggest that discovering 100,000 new species could require at least $1bn. We are laying the groundwork to make large-scale species discovery a reality, but our impact will ultimately be determined by how this knowledge is used to support marine protection, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.”  

For the year ahead, the Ocean Census now plans to provide dozens more Species Discovery Awards, undertake ten new expeditions, and host seven additional Species Discovery Workshops across the Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans.

All further data will be added to the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.

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