A global marine research team discovered more than 1,100 new ocean species in a single year, news outlets report.
Ocean Census, a research initiative of 1,000 scientists from 85 countries, discovered creatures such as the bristle worm, which lives inside a sponge made of silica with which it shares a symbiotic relationship.
Ocean Census researchers also found a “ghost shark” 2,700 feet deep off the coast of Australia and a carnivorous “death ball” sponge about 12,000 feet below the surface near Antarctica. The sponge uses microscopic, Velcro-like hooks to trap and eat crustaceans.
The findings amount to a 54% increase in new species discoveries over last year, when 728 previously unknown marine animals were first recorded.
Researchers warn that many species could vanish before they are documented due to industrial pollution, deep-sea mining and climate change.
Ocean Census is calling for more investment in marine exploration.
Japan’s Nippon Foundation and the U.K.-based ocean exploration group Nekton formed the Ocean Census initiative.
