The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census has announced the discovery of over 1,100 new marine species in just the last year, marking what they described as “a significant step forward in efforts to document life in the world’s oceans.”
The discoveries included the exotic ‘Ghost Shark’ chimera in the Coral Sea and a symbiotic worm that lives in a ‘glass house’ organism off the coast of Japan, adding to the increasing array of complex marine organisms living beneath the ocean’s surface.
Ghost Shark Chimera and ‘Glass House’ Worm Among 1,100+ New Species
According to a Nippon Foundation statement, the new census marks its third year with 13 separate species-hunting expeditions “across some of the world’s most remote and least explored ocean regions.” Although the new work includes the discovery and characterization of 1,121 new species from depths up to 6,575 meters, the authors, including JAMSTEC, CSIRO, and the Schmidt Ocean Institute, noted that up to 90% of the ocean’s species remain undiscovered.
“The findings highlight both the sheer scale of life yet to be documented and the importance of building scientific data that policymakers and marine managers need to protect the ocean,” they explained.
Mitsuyuku Unno, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, said that this record-breaking census shows what can be achieved “when scientific ambition is matched by global collaboration at scale.”
“Through expeditions reaching polar depths to tropical seas, and the science to turn samples into discoveries, this team is revealing the extraordinary richness of ocean life,” Unno added.
Sharks and Worms and Shrimps, Oh My
Among the most fascinating of the ocean organisms included in the new census was the Ghost Shark chimera. Discovered by taxonomist Dr. William White during a CSIRO expedition in Coral Sea Marine Park off the Queensland coast of Australia, living at depths between 802 and 838 meters, the research team said that the elusive predator is “among the most mysterious inhabitants of the deep ocean.”
A distant relative of both sharks and rays, the Ghost Shark is an evolutionarily distinct “diversion” that took place nearly 400 million years ago. As the research notes, the evolution of the ghost shark chimera predates the dinosaurs’ reign. Along with its scientific value as a distinct species, the team said the discovery of the Ghost Shark is significant, as a third of sharks, rays, and chimeras are vulnerable to extinction.
Another discovery noted by the Nippon Foundation includes the ‘Life in a Glass Castle’ symbiotic worm. Part of a 2025 Ocean Census JAMSTEC-Shinkai Japan expedition to the Shichiyo Seamount Chain, off the coast of Japan, this unusual organism was found living at a depth of 791 meters on a volcanic seamount.
However, instead of living in rock or coral, the worm makes its home inside a sponge whose skeleton is made of crystalline silica, aka glass.
Named after the mission’s principal investigator, Dr. Akinori Yabuki, this discovery of (Dalhousiella yabukii) was made by Dr. Nato Jimi and published in The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Other notable organisms discovered in the last year include a ribbon worm belonging to the Phylum Nemertea, a species with toxins that have been investigated as a potential Alzheimer’s disease treatment, and a bright orange species of shrimp in a sea cave off the coast of Marseille that could provide critical conservation data in what the researchers termed the “pressured Mediterranean region.”
“We Are in a Race Against Time to Understand and Protect Ocean Life”
When discussing the significance of the foundation’s work, Dr. Michelle Taylor, Head of Science at Ocean Census, noted that many undiscovered species are at risk of disappearing before researchers have the chance to document them, adding that “we are in a race against time to understand and protect ocean life.”
“For too long, thousands of species have remained in a scientific ‘limbo’ because the pace of discovery couldn’t keep up,” Dr. Taylor explained. “We are now breaking that bottleneck. By accelerating discovery and sharing data globally, we are not just finding new life, but generating the evidence needed to drive global science and policy at a critical moment.”
The director of Ocean Census, Oliver Steeds, agreed, noting the significant discoveries that could be achieved with a comparatively small budget for space exploration research.
“We spend billions searching for life on Mars or going to the dark side of the moon,” Steeds explained. “Discovering the majority of life on our own planet – in our own ocean – costs a fraction of that.”
To facilitate the discovery of more species like the Ghost Shark chimera and other similarly elusive species, the organization’s co-founder is seeking “$100M in catalytic capital to unlock $75M+ already pledged by partners.” With a stated goal of discovering 100,000 new marine species.
“The question is not whether we can afford to do this. It is whether we can afford not to,” Steeds added.
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.