The Ocean Census: Accelerating Marine Species Discovery with Global Collaboration & Tech.

Our planet's oceans, covering over 70% of its surface, remain one of the most mysterious and least explored ecosystems on Earth. Scientists estimate that a staggering 90% of marine species are still unknown to us, with potentially one to two million species awaiting discovery. In a race against time to document this incredible biodiversity before it's lost to threats like climate change and overfishing, a monumental global initiative called the Ocean Census was launched in April 2023. This ambitious project aims to discover at least 100,000 new marine species within its first decade, revolutionizing our understanding of life on Earth and how to protect our vital oceans.

The Ocean Census is not merely an academic exercise; it's a critical mission to fill significant knowledge gaps that hinder our ability to effectively conserve marine environments and manage resources sustainably. The ocean produces over half the oxygen we breathe, regulates our climate, and provides food and livelihoods for billions of people. Without understanding the full spectrum of life it harbors, we cannot adequately protect it or harness its potential for advancements in medicine and biotechnology. As Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of The Nippon Foundation, aptly stated, "We can't protect what we don't know exists."

A Global Alliance for Discovery

At its core, the Ocean Census is a massive collaborative effort, an open network uniting science, business, media, and civil society organizations from across the globe. Founded by The Nippon Foundation, Japan's largest non-profit philanthropic organization, and Nekton, a UK-based marine science and conservation institute, the project has its headquarters in Oxford, UK, with the first Ocean Census Biodiversity Centre at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

This alliance brings together a diverse array of partners, including national marine research institutes, museums, universities, philanthropic organizations, and technology partners. Notable collaborators include the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and Northeastern University's Ocean Genome Legacy Center (OGL). The project is also endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, highlighting its global significance. This collaborative approach leverages a wide range of resources, including vessels from philanthropic, government, and commercial fleets, to conduct expeditions to biodiversity hotspots worldwide.

Harnessing Technology to Accelerate Discovery

Historically, the process of discovering and describing new species has been slow and methodical, with the average rate of new marine species discovery remaining around 2,000 per year since the 1800s. It can take anywhere from one to two years, or even several decades (averaging 13.5 years), to formally describe a new species after it's collected. The Ocean Census aims to drastically shorten this timeline to just a few months.

This acceleration is made possible by a revolution in technologies:

Advanced DNA Sequencing and eDNA: Cutting-edge genetic techniques, including the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) – genetic material shed by organisms into the water – allow scientists to detect the presence of species without necessarily seeing or capturing them. This non-invasive method is particularly useful for understanding biodiversity in vast or hard-to-reach areas.
High-Resolution Imaging and Robotics: Advanced subsea technologies, including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), submarines, and deep-sea robots equipped with high-resolution cameras and 3D laser scanners, enable exploration from the surface to the deepest trenches. For instance, the Schmidt Ocean Institute provides the ROV Sebastian, capable of reaching depths of 4,500 meters and live-streaming 4K images. Underwater lasers can now scan gelatinous creatures like jellyfish in situ.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: These technologies are crucial for processing the vast amounts of data and images collected, speeding up identification and analysis.
Cyber-Taxonomy and Digital Life Forms: Ocean Census is pioneering "cyber-taxonomy," creating "Digital Life Forms" by integrating various data streams to complete species descriptions.

Species discovered on expeditions are sent to a network of Ocean Census Biodiversity Centres being established in high, middle, and low-income nations for high-resolution imaging and DNA sequencing.

Ambitious Goals and Early Triumphs

The primary goal of Ocean Census is to discover at least 100,000 new marine species in its first decade. By March 2025, the initiative had already announced the discovery of 866 new marine species, a significant early success. These discoveries span dozens of taxonomic groups, including new species of sharks (like a guitar shark, only the 38th known species worldwide), sea butterflies, mud dragons, bamboo corals, sponges, shrimps, crabs, and many more. One newly identified mollusc, Granulina nekton, collected off Tenerife, was described in just 48 hours from collection to publication, showcasing the accelerated process.

These early findings demonstrate the power of international collaboration and advanced technology. The Ocean Census global alliance has already conducted 10 global expeditions and hosted 8 Species Discovery Workshops, with over 800 scientists from more than 400 institutions collaborating. Expeditions have ventured into diverse and underexplored regions, from the Barents Sea in the Arctic to the remote South Sandwich Islands.

Open Data for a Sustainable Future

A cornerstone of the Ocean Census is its commitment to open and equitable data sharing. All aggregated, open-sourced data will be added to a network of data centers globally, including the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform (formerly the Cyberbiodiversity System), making it freely accessible to scientists, decision-makers, and the public. This platform, developed in part by UNEP-WCMC, catalogues species discoveries in near real-time.

This wealth of openly accessible knowledge is intended to revolutionize our understanding of life on Earth and inform strategies for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable resource management. It will advance fundamental science, including our understanding of oxygen production, carbon cycling, sustainable food production, the evolution of life, and even lead to discoveries of new medicines and biotechnologies. The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) has partnered with Ocean Census, ensuring that new species, once officially described, will be incorporated into this comprehensive global database.

Building on a Legacy, Facing the Future

The Ocean Census builds upon the legacy of major historical marine exploration programs, such as The Challenger Expeditions (1872-1876) and The Census of Marine Life (2000-2010). While these earlier efforts laid crucial groundwork, Ocean Census leverages new technological advancements to achieve discovery at an unprecedented speed and scale.

Despite the sophisticated technology and global collaboration, challenges remain. The sheer vastness and inaccessibility of many marine habitats, particularly the deep sea, pose significant hurdles. There's also a need to address the shortage of taxonomists by investing in and supporting early-career researchers. Ensuring the quality of DNA samples from extreme environments and developing robust sample preservation methods are ongoing technical challenges.

The future impact of the Ocean Census is potentially transformative. By providing a more complete picture of marine biodiversity, it will empower conservation efforts, help establish marine protected areas, and inform policies to mitigate the impacts of climate change and human activities on ocean ecosystems. The project also aims to inspire public and policy interest, galvanizing sustained action to protect ocean life.

As Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Executive Director of Schmidt Ocean Institute, stated, "The beauty and diversity of marine life in the ocean is still beyond human comprehension, but as we explore and uncover what lies beneath the sea surface, we are constantly awed and delighted by new life forms." The Ocean Census is not just counting species; it's unlocking the secrets of our planet's largest and most vital ecosystem, paving the way for a future where humanity and the ocean can thrive together.

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