Scientists race to discover and protect what lives in the ocean

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Scientists say not knowing what lives in our oceans holds back efforts to protect them. Marine biologists are racing to catalogue species — from carnivorous sponges to…

Scientists say not knowing what lives in our oceans is holding back efforts to protect them. Because of that, many are racing to discover and document the wild and diverse species in marine environments that are often hard for humans to access.

Ocean Census, a global collaboration of scientists and non-profit organizations, estimates that scientists have documented less than 10 per cent of some 2.2 million fish, marine mammals, shellfish, plankton, squid, jellyfish and other species that live in our oceans.

"It's very difficult to protect what you don't know," said Michelle Taylor, head of science at Ocean Census.

A sea cucumber with horned appendages, nicknamed Loki, and a bright red-orange coral with fans of slender branches are among 57 new species announced and identified in October from an Ocean Census expedition off Argentina last year.

This new sea cucumber species was nicknamed Loki because of its prominent horned appendages, reminiscent of the god in Norse mythology. It was found in the Mar del Plata submarine canyon off Argentina. (ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)

A striking, bright red-orange octocoral was photographed nearly 2,000 metres below the surface of the ocean in Argentina's Mar del Plata canyon. (ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)

A landmark UN biodiversity agreement in 2022 committed to protecting 30 per cent of the world's land, water and marine areas by 2030, but has been falling short on ocean protection, with just 12 per cent of oceans (compared to 27 per cent of lands) set to be protected by 2030.

Canada has so far protected 15.5 per cent of its oceans, according to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).

Claire Goodwin, a research scientist at Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrew's, N.B., said the goal is to protect areas with high biodiversity.

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