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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · 22h

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · 8d

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".

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · 26d

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · 29d

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · 29d

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Sep 8

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Sep 4

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Sep 1

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 28

🌱 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.

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 27

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 26

The Ocean Census is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Species Discovery Awards. The Awards provide financial support to talented marine scientists driving the discovery and description of life in our ocean.

Meet the 2025 Awardees: oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...

The Ocean Census Announces 2025 Species Discovery Awardees

The Ocean Census is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Species Discovery Awards - a celebration of the pioneering scientists and taxonomists driving the discovery and description of life in our ocean.

oceancensus.org

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 19

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?

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 17

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 16

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 15

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.

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 15

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 15

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 14

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 13

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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 11

This year, Ocean Census is proud to support six scientists on expeditions around the world. From submarine caves to tropical coastlines.

Meet the 2025 Ocean Census Expedition Awardees🔗 oceancensus.org/the-ocean-ce...

#ExpeditionAwards

The Ocean Census Announces 2025 Expedition Awardees

The Ocean Census is proud to announce the six recipients of the first-ever Ocean Census Expedition Awards.

oceancensus.org

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 8

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-...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 6

🦞 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...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 5

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

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 4

This week Ocean Census scientists are at Universidad de Magallanes in Chile, to study potential new marine species from the Southern Ocean and South Sandwich Islands. 🔬

New species pending? 🔗 oceancensus.org/discovering-...

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Ocean Census @oceancensus.bsky.social · Aug 2

Head(less) for heights? 🌌

This headless chicken monster (Enypniastes eximia) was caught gliding above a bed of stars - brittle stars, that is - on the #SouthSandwichIslands expedition.

📸 @schmidtocean.bsky.social

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