The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census Discovers 866 New Marine Species After 10 Global Expeditions (2)
Published on April 18, 2025
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The following are some of the 866 new marine species discovered during 10 ocean expeditions by The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, a global alliance dedicated to the discovery and protection of marine life:
Identified at around 200-meter depths off Mozambique and Tanzania by world-renowned shark expert Mr. David Ebert, also known as the “Lost Shark Guy” who has dedicated his career to searching for unknown shark species around the world.
This creature is part of a unique group of animals that share characteristics with sharks and rays. This is only the 38th known guitar shark species worldwide, a group so at-risk that two-thirds of its species are threatened.
A marine gastropod discovered at 200–500m depths off New Caledonia and Vanuatu by Dr. Peter Stahlschmidt of the University of Landau, Germany. Turrid gastropods possess venomous “harpoons” used to catch prey, producing peptides with potential applications in pain relief and cancer treatment. A drug used to treat chronic pain was originally developed from a related snail family, underscoring the biotechnological promise of new ocean life.
Additionally, this is the first record of a genus from the Maldives. It highlights the diversity yet to be discovered. Octocorals provide essential habitat for marine life and play a key role in reef stability and nutrient cycling.
The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census hopes its marine exploration program will make many more exciting discoveries like these to attain its ambitious goal of finding 100,000 new marine species in its first decade.
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