World
Marine biodiversity
1,121 new species in a year: how the Ocean Census broke the deep-sea logjam
The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census says it logged 1,121 new marine species in a single year - a 54% jump in the annual discovery rate, from depths down to 6,575 metres. Highlights include a deep-sea ghost shark and a worm that lives inside a glass-sponge 'castle.' With an estimated 90% of ocean species still undescribed, a new platform called NOVA aims to cut the historic 13.5-year wait to formally share a find down to weeks.