Ghost sharks, carnivorous sponges: Over 1,100 marine species discovered under global initiative

SINGAPORE – Carnivorous sponges and a worm smaller than a paperclip that could potentially treat neurodegenerative diseases are among the more than 1,100 species that were uncovered as part of a global initiative to accelerate the discovery of marine life.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, a record 1,121 species were discovered by scientists across 13 expeditions in various less-explored regions of the ocean.

This represents a 54 per cent increase from the number discovered in the previous year, said The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, which led the efforts.

Founded in 2023, Ocean Census is a collaboration between The Nippon Foundation, a Japanese philanthropic body, and Nekton, a UK-based ocean exploration institute.

The initiative partnered with others such as Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the US-based Schmidt Ocean Institute in the expeditions.

Numerous marine life discoveries were made in the Asia-Pacifc region.

These included ghost sharks, a species of chimaera related to sharks and rays. They were discovered at a depth of more than 800m during an expedition in Coral Sea Marine Park off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Another species is a type of bristle worm called Dalhousiella yabukii, which lives within a “glass castle” – the intricate, translucent skeleton of a type of sponge made of crystalline silica.

It was discovered at a depth of 791m on a volcanic seamount along Japan’s Shichiyo Seamount Chain by researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

A new sponge species, Chondrocladia, was discovered at a depth of 3,601m in the North Trench of the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Unlike other sponges – which passively consume micro-organisms in the water – this carnivorous “death ball” sponge uses microscopic, Velcro-like hooks to trap unsuspecting crustaceans, which it slowly envelops and digests.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Nekton founder and chief executive Oliver Steeds highlighted the significant discovery of a colourful ribbon worm from the Drepanophoridae family – measuring less than 3cm – near Timor-Leste.

“Its colouring indicates potent chemical defences, and it’s these unique toxins... that are being investigated as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia,” said Mr Steeds, who is also director of Ocean Census.

This shows a direct link between deep-sea species discovery and human medicine, he noted.

Undiscovered species have “irreplaceable pharmaceutical potential”, said the former journalist, who was in Singapore for the recent Ecosperity Week, Temasek’s flagship sustainability conference.

Mr Steeds noted that while the discovery of species has historically gone hand in hand with their exploitation, there is a moral imperative to change this to ensure species remain protected, even as their potential is explored.

He said there is an average of about 13.5 years between the discovery of a species – when experts confirm that a species is new to science – and its description in scientific literature, when it is given a scientific name.

To close the gap, Ocean Census and its collaborators now recognise “discovered” as a formal scientific status that can be immediately recorded in Nova, a new digital platform for marine species data.

The platform – supported by more than 1,400 taxonomists and scientists from 660 institutions worldwide – makes data available within weeks through a transparent, open-access approach.

Dr Michelle Taylor, head of science at Ocean Census, said: “With many species at risk of disappearing before they are even documented, we are in a race against time to understand and protect ocean life. By accelerating discovery and sharing data globally, we are not just finding new life, but also generating the evidence needed to drive global science and policy at a critical moment.”

Mr Steeds noted that an estimated 90 per cent of ocean species are still undiscovered, which he described as a “planetary blind spot”.

Technological innovations such as high-resolution imaging, machine learning and artificial intelligence can help accelerate species discovery, he said, adding that investment in taxonomy and species discovery has historically been lacking.

To fund its efforts, Nekton is seeking US$100 million (S$128 million) in catalytic capital – funding that enables initiatives to create positive impact – to unlock US$75 million already pledged by partners, with the goal of discovering 100,000 new marine species in the coming years.

This is just a fraction of the billions spent on space exploration, Mr Steeds said.

He added that there is an increasing need to discover and protect marine life, noting that coral reefs and the life they support are at risk of dying out as global temperatures increase amid climate change.

“The more we learn about ocean life and its diversity, the more we realise that we just do not know enough about the scale and breadth of the diversity of life in our ocean,” he said.