Ocean Census

Our community of taxonomists and marine scientists has grown so much since the start of the Ocean Census. Thank you so much to all who contribute.

Opportunities in the Science Network: oceancensus.org/science-netw...

Yes!!! We love this repost Holly 🤩😂

I’m here for this “carnivorous death ball sponge” - don’t mess with sponges!! They have so many ways to kill you (if you are a marine invertebrate)

We love the new orbs 😍

Colour illustration of the dorsal view of Tenellia foliata

Colour illustration of the dorsal view of Pelagella castanea

Colour illustration of the dorsal view of Hermaea bifida

It's #SeaSlugDay! To celebrate we have selected these beautiful illustrations from 'A Monograph of the British Nudibranchiate Mollusca' volume 1, published by @raysocietybooks.bsky.social. You can find two copies in the rare books room @thembauk.bsky.social 📖 BL.48/A

YouTube video by Ocean Census Colossal Squid spotted on Ocean Census South Sandwich Islands expedition

Hi John, check out our YouTube link here 🤩 youtube.com/shorts/gf-N7... You can also find the colossal squid press release on the @schmidtocean.bsky.social website here schmidtocean.org/first-coloss...

Carnivorous “Death-Ball” Sponge Among 30 New Deep-Sea Species from the Southern Ocean Thirty previously unknown deep-sea species, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet by The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Censu...

Announcement: 30 new species discovered from expeditions to the Southern Ocean. Read more 👇

oceancensus.org/press-releas...

@schmidtocean.bsky.social #NewSpecies

YouTube video by Nekton First Descent Comoros: the mission begins

Ocean Census is currently on board the #FirstDescentComoros expedition with partners Nekton. Watch the short mission trailer below and find out what the team are exploring! youtu.be/Do19IAm6vVw?...

New species of mangrove crab discovered in Western Australia | Western Australian Museum Deep in the mangroves of Exmouth Gulf, scientists have identified a new species of crab: Parasesarma otiense.

NEW SPECIES of mangrove crab discovered in Western Australia, and registered to the Ocean Census. Congratulations to Ocean Census Science Network member Dr Andrew Hosie and Ana Hara from #WAMuseum. 👇

visit.museum.wa.gov.au/learn/news-s...

@cirripedia.bsky.social

What lives on underwater mountains that rise 3,000m from the seafloor? 🌋

The Coral Sea Marine Park is the largest marine park in Australia. Scientists are investigating the seafloor biodiversity of two spectacular features of the marine park oceancensus.org/expeditions/...

📸 CSIRO

We’ve had a fantastic few days at #IUCNCongress. Today is the last day to learn more about our species discovery mission. Ocean Census is at Booth 136 in the Exhibition Hall.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has just been updated and now includes assessments of 1,266 species of sharks, rays, and chimaeras.

Maya de Paz of @oceancensus.bsky.social welcomed our marketing and sales manager @maria-kolesnikova.bsky.social
at their booth at #IUCNCongress today!

We have partnered with Ocean Census on numerous occasions, publishing descriptions of new species from deep-sea explorations in our journals.

Thank you for coming to visit us!

We’ve arrived at the #IUCN World Conservation Congress!

The Ocean Census is proud to join the world’s largest gathering for nature conservation.

🐙 Come and meet us at Booth #136 in the Exhibition Hall (Hall 9)!

#IUCNWCC #WCC2025 #MarineConservation #SpeciesDiscovery

Today on #WorldOctopusDay we celebrate the diversity of these incredible cephalopods. There are around 300 known species of octopus, with more still being discovered. The images below were captured on this year's #SouthSandwichIslands expedition with partners @schmidtocean.bsky.social

Meet Jingchun Li, Curator of Invertebrates at University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and member of the Ocean Census Science Network. She specialises in "some of the most unusual bivalves in the ocean".

This afternoon our Science Manager, Dr Verity Nye, presented at the 12th World Sponge Conference in Portugal. We have had a fantastic week collaborating with the global sponge community and celebrating the progress being made in marine research.

oceancensus.org/science-netw...

All set up and excited to meet lots of sponge biologists this week at the 12th World Sponge Conference in Portugal! 🧽 @wscommunity.bsky.social If you are attending, come and ask us about funding for species discovery, expeditions and species discovery workshop opportunities.
www.oceancensus.org

There are currently 9,492 marine sponge species recognised in WoRMS. 🧽 With more discoveries to be made, the Ocean Census Science Network needs more sponge experts.

Come and chat to us at the World Sponge Conference to find out how you can support species discovery.

@wscommunity.bsky.social

This week we’re at the World Sponge Conference in Portugal! Stay tuned for plenty of sponge-inspired content as we celebrate these ancient and vital ocean architects.

If you are attending this week, come and visit our booth, located at the theatre hall entrance.

@wscommunity.bsky.social

Can you tell if a coral is “pregnant”?

We asked Ocean Census Science Network member Luisa Dueñas all about her work on deep-sea octocorals.

🔗 Find out here oceancensus.org/exploring-de...

Searching for new species? It’s not always so shrimple! 🦐 A red fog of crustaceans became quite the challenge for scientists searching for new species on the #SouthSandwichIslands expedition.

📸 Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute

🌱 Bamboo: fast growing, annoys your neighbours.
🌊 Bamboo coral: slow growing, made up of neighbours - thousands of tiny polyps living and working together!

This particular specimen (Keratoisididae) was found at a depth of 959m during the #SouthSandwichIslands expedition.

For Dr Sonia Rowley, diving among gorgonian octocorals brings moments of pure excitement. Spotting a familiar species is like meeting an old friend, while discovering one for the first time is unforgettable.

Watch Gorgonians of the Mesophotic youtu.be/H_1n5CQgWo8

The Ocean Census Announces 2025 Species Discovery Awardees The Ocean Census is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Species Discovery Awards - a celebration of the pioneering scientists and taxonomists driving the discovery and description of life in our ocean.

The Ocean Census is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Species Discovery Awards. The Awards provide financial support to talented marine scientists driving the discovery and description of life in our ocean.

Meet the 2025 Awardees: oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...

On #WorldPhotographyDay we’re celebrating how images help scientists discover and describe new species.

From revealing colours and features that fade in preservation, to identifying morphological details under the microscope, images are central to taxonomy.

Can you think of any more examples?

Ernest Ohandja Nomo is leading an expedition studying annelid worms in the Gulf of Guinea. His research will document biodiversity in some of West Africa’s most ecologically important but under-studied habitats.

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees ➡️ oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...

Dr. Andreas Altenburger is sailing from Greenland to Alaska as part of One Ocean Expedition II, investigating the biodiversity of marine animals in Arctic sediments.

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees ➡️ oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...

Meet Team Polychaete 🪱

Americo Montiel and Tania Figueroa Delgado (Universidad de Magallanes) are analysing polychaetes at the Ocean Census Species Discovery Workshop in Chile. This particular specimen is a potential new species from the #SouthSandwichIslands.