Between April 2025 and March 2026, Ocean Census logged 1,121 candidate marine species. According to ScienceBlog, finds came from shallow reefs, sea caves, and waters as deep as 21,572 feet (6,575 meters).
That figure does not mean all 1,121 have already been formally named. Instead, it refers to candidates entering a faster discovery workflow before scientists potentially classify them fully.
Here's what to know
Ocean Census reached a total of 1,121 specimens through 13 expeditions, nine specialist workshops, and the study of specimens already held in scientific collections.
In a May 19 announcement, the organization said that output represents a 54% increase in its annual identification rate.
Rather than waiting for each case to complete formal publication, Ocean Census uses a documented provisional label for certain organisms. That means they get names that scientists could change later.
That "discovered" status can be assigned before a species receives a full scientific description, official name, and publication, meaning the 1,121 figure counts candidates in the system rather than finalized taxonomic additions.
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Ocean Census also says the total reflects work spread across international collaboration. The network includes 1,433 researchers across 660 institutions in 85 countries.
Examples from the group include an unidentified chimera from the Coral Sea and a brightly colored ribbon worm from Timor-Leste.
More background
Scientists believe the ocean remains vastly undercataloged.
Estimates often cited by researchers suggest that up to 90% of marine species may still be undiscovered. That number, however, comes from modeling rather than a literal count of everything living in the sea.
Even so, adding 1,121 entries does not suddenly transform what scientists know about marine biodiversity.
The formal process is notoriously slow. Ocean Census says the historical gap between collecting a specimen and publishing a full scientific description averages 13.5 years. During that delay, species can remain effectively invisible to many researchers and conservation planners.
But especially when they become more accessible, better species records can inform environmental decisions that affect fisheries and coastal ecosystems.
What's being done?
Ocean Census is trying to address that bottleneck with a system designed to speed documentation without replacing traditional taxonomy.
Its NOVA platform allows candidate species to be recorded quickly while specialists continue the slower work of comparison, imaging, DNA analysis, and formal publication.
Beyond the platform itself, the group is funding practical work like specialist workshops and support for taxonomists to revisit old samples. When this doesn't happen, that also really slows down the process.
This approach could help bring biodiversity evidence into decision-making sooner, especially in places where habitats are changing faster than scientific naming can keep up with. A rapid record can at least flag the presence of a distinct organism in a particular place.
Still, the system only works if provisional status remains clear and if those records eventually connect to preserved specimens and formal names that other scientists can verify.
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