The Ocean Census JAMSTEC-Shinkai expedition is a 20-day research mission that was scheduled for completion June 23. It was a collaboration between the Japanese Agency of Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census to explore a range of deep-sea ecosystems within the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone for new species of marine life.

The expedition relied on the deep-sea sampling capabilities of the DSV Shinkai 6500 human-operated submersible over 10 dives. The submersible was deployed from the RV Yokosuka and custom equipped with a variety of biological sampling equipment and high-resolution cameras to aid in species discovery and documentation.

All species discoveries from the expedition will be shared openly via the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform, supporting global access to new scientific knowledge.

In late 2025, a Species Discovery Workshop will be hosted at JAMSTEC headquarters, where Japanese and international scientists will work together to identify and catalog the samples collected.

Learn more here.