The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census Undertakes First Deep-Sea Expedition to Japan, Partnering with JAMSTEC
Published on July 2, 2025
The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census has undertaken its first deep-sea expedition to Japan, partnering with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) with the key aim of exploring a range of deep-sea ecosystems within the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for new species of marine life.
The June 4-23 scientific voyage of the Japanese research vessel Yokosuka deployed JAMSTEC’s renowned human-operated submersible Shinkai 6500 to visit some of Japan’s most mysterious deep-sea ecosystems.
The expedition targeted biologically rich deep-sea regions within Japan’s EEZ, including the Nankai Trough and Shichiyo Seamounts, aiming to discover marine species never before seen by science.
Ocean Census was launched by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, a U.K.-based marine research institute, in April 2023 with the ambitious target of finding at least 100,000 new marine species in the first decade.
The Ocean Census JAMSTEC-Shinkai expedition marked Japan’s flagship contribution to this global initiative, which has been officially endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade program.
Dr. Takeshi Kawano, executive director of JAMSTEC, commented as the team embarked on the voyage: “This expedition represents more than a journey into the unknown; it signifies a convergence of knowledge, expertise, and a shared vision dedicated to advancing the discovery of marine biodiversity. With JAMSTEC’s Shinkai 6500 at its core, this mission shows the transformative power of international collaboration in deep-sea research. Together, we aim to deepen our understanding of life in the ocean’s most remote regions and to contribute meaningfully to the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity.”
The expedition celebrated Japan’s leadership in ocean technology and science, exemplified by the Shinkai 6500－one of the world’s deepest-diving human-occupied research submersibles capable of diving to a depth of 6,500 meters. Since 1990, it has completed over 1,800 dives and remains a symbol of Japan’s deep-sea expertise, according to JAMSTEC.
“We’re proud to deploy the Shinkai 6500 on home ground in service of global science,” said Dr Akinori Yabuki, principal investigator of the expedition at JAMSTEC, adding: “Japan’s waters hold extraordinary biological diversity, and many areas remain virtually unexplored.”
The expedition’s international scientific team included experts from JAMSTEC, the Ocean Census, Nagoya University and Hokkaido University (both of Japan), and the Australian National University. Together, they undertook over 10 dives, collecting and documenting deep-sea species across a range of remarkable ecosystems from volcanic seamounts to methane seep communities.
Dr Michelle Taylor, co-lead of the expedition and head of science at the Ocean Census, said: “This is about more than discovery. It’s about creating a new knowledge base for ocean stewardship, led by Japan and shared with the world. Thanks to JAMSTEC’s incredible legacy and infrastructure, and with the support of The Nippon Foundation, we expect to find species new to science.”
In line with the Ocean Census’ commitment to open science, all discoveries from the cruise will be made freely available through the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.
A post-expedition Species Discovery Workshop will be held at JAMSTEC headquarters in Yokosuka, 65 kilometers south of Tokyo, in late 2025, where Japanese and international scientists will work together to identify and catalogue the samples collected.
