Ocean Census
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Ocean Census
@oceancensus.bsky.social
The largest global mission to discover ocean life 🔎🐙 Founded by Nekton & The Nippon Foundation. Endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade.

Website: oceancensus.org/
Join the Science Network: oceancensus.org/science/
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...
October 31, 2025 at 4:18 PM
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
October 15, 2025 at 9:33 AM
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.
October 13, 2025 at 9:06 AM
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
October 9, 2025 at 7:21 AM
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
October 8, 2025 at 7:30 AM
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".
September 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM
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...
September 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
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
September 9, 2025 at 10:24 AM
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
September 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM
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
September 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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...
September 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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
September 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM
🌱 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.
August 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
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
August 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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?
August 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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...
August 17, 2025 at 9:30 AM
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...
August 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
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.
August 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Jan will join a pioneering deep-sea survey off Uruguay’s coast, with @schmidtocean.bsky.social. The team will be exploring sponge fields, coral gardens, and cold seeps using ROVs

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees ➡️ oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...
August 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Dan Ishibashi is exploring submarine caves off the coast of southern Japan, with JAMSTEC.

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees ➡️ oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...
August 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Dr Daniel Lauretta is onboard @schmidtocean.bsky.social's research vessel, leading a team of scientists studying marine life in one of Argentina's deepest underwater canyons.

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees ➡️ oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...
August 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Prof. Simone Nunes Brandao is surveying one of the least sampled coastal areas in the world.

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees ➡️ oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...
August 13, 2025 at 9:30 AM
During the #SouthSandwichIslands expedition March, scientists discovered coral gardens, new hydrothermal vents, and a wide variety of deep-sea life - including many suspected new species. 🪸 Now scientists are investigating whether these are indeed new to science oceancensus.org/discovering-...
August 8, 2025 at 9:00 AM
🦞 Meet Galathea tukitukimea, a brand new species of squat lobster!

This species marks the first record of the Galathea genus in both Chilean waters and this part of the Pacific 🥇

🔗 Read the paper zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1595...
August 6, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Soaking up lots of love for sponges!

We’re proud to be sponsoring the World Sponge Conference in Portugal, kicking off five weeks from today. Click here to see the programme: worldspongecommunity.com/program/ #WSC2025

📸 Sponges of the SE Pacific. Schmidt Ocean Institute
@wscommunity.bsky.social
August 5, 2025 at 10:58 AM