Carnivorous "Death-Ball" Sponge Among 30 New Deep-Sea Species Discovered Near Antarctica Under Ocean Census Project (2)

Commenting on the discoveries of 30 previously unknown deep-sea species in the depths of the Southern Ocean by scientists of The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census, Dr. Michelle Taylor, head of science at Ocean Census, said: “The Southern Ocean remains profoundly under-sampled. To date, we have only assessed under 30% of the samples collected from this expedition, so confirming 30 new species already shows how much biodiversity is still undocumented.” 

 

Advanced tools, such as precise seafloor mapping and high-definition remotely operated vehicle (ROV) imagery, allowed the researchers to explore and gather data from places never seen before by humans, Ms. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute of Palo Alto, California, said in a statement.

 

"The goal we share with Ocean Census to accelerate discoveries has resulted in the first confirmed sighting of a juvenile colossal squid and new species, and exemplifies what becomes possible when technology, ship time and a global science network work as one," Virmani said.

 

At the Southern Ocean Species Discovery Workshop hosted by Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile, an international team of taxonomists fast-tracked species verification by triaging, imaging and comparing specimens on site, using targeted DNA barcoding where needed. 

 

This ocean-to-lab model is a newer, faster and more collaborative approach to species discovery for the global community, addressing a common reality in taxonomy of samples sitting unprocessed for years because of limited funding and capacity. 

 

"This is exactly why the Ocean Census exists－accelerating the discovery of ocean life and making it openly available," added Dr. Taylor, who is also a world-leading expert in deep-sea corals and senior lecturer at the University of Essex. "Each confirmed species is a building block for conservation, biodiversity studies and untold future scientific endeavors."

 

Polar deep-sea ecosystems remain profoundly under-sampled yet are central to understanding evolution, biogeography and resilience in our rapidly changing climate, the researchers said. 

 

The Ocean Census accelerated species discovery model generates open, high-quality biodiversity evidence to support taxonomy, conservation planning and future research. 

 

All discoveries feed into the open-access Biodiversity Data Platform, ensuring that knowledge is freely available to scientists, policymakers, conservationists and the public.

 

The Ocean Census was established by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, a U.K.-based marine research institute, in 2023 with the ambitious target of finding at least 100,000 new marine species in the first decade. It brings together hundreds of scientists and institutions across the globe to explore, document, and share the diversity of marine species at unprecedented speed and scale.

 

In 2024, it was officially endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade program in recognition of the project’s large-scale strategic science mission to transform our knowledge of life on Earth,

 

“Accelerating species discovery is not a scientific luxury, it is essential for public good,” said Mr. Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of The Nippon Foundation, adding: “Ocean Census is a program with the goal to reveal the unknowns of our world. Through its expeditions, we have seen another groundbreaking species discovery that benefits the world’s scientists, policymakers and communities.”

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