Marine taxonomists have identified more than 110 fish and invertebrate species from the Coral Sea that are new to science, with that number likely to exceed 200 as more cryptic species are identified.
Brought together by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, and The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census , the taxonomists identified fish and invertebrates collected late last year by scientists on board CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator. They were discovered between 200 to 3,000m deep in the Coral Sea Marine Park, which comprises nearly a million square kilometres of mostly unexplored, deep-water marine environments.
CSIRO Voyage Chief Scientist and shark expert Dr Will White identified four new species during a series of workshops around Australia, two rays (in the genera Dipturus and Urolophus), one deepwater catshark (in the genus Apristurus) and one chimaera (in the genus Chimaera).
"During the voyage it was incredible to observe plenty of unique, deep-sea creatures in locations from seamounts and atolls to unexplored deep reefs," Dr White said.
The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census Head of Science, Dr Michelle Taylor said workshops like these help close knowledge gaps about undocumented marine life worldwide.
"To ensure high-quality data is visible to the global community in real-time, the taxonomists at the workshops input the species data directly into the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform , the world's first open-access digital gateway for newly discovered marine species," Dr Taylor said.
"During what were likely the largest taxonomic workshops of marine animals ever undertaken in Australia, other notable discoveries included species of brittlestars, crabs, sea anemones and sponges that are new to science," Dr White added.
The team on board the voyage also observed a rich diversity of marine life in stunning new imagery from RV Investigator's deep-towed camera, including capturing footage of the rare sand tiger shark (Odontaspis ferox), a deepwater relative of the well-known grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus).
"These incredible discoveries, made possible by the impressive deep-water survey capabilities of RV Investigator, reveal the extraordinary life in our oceans and are crucial for protecting Australia's marine biodiversity," Dr White said.
Biodiversity samples from the voyage are now lodged in collections around the country including CSIRO's Australian National Fish Collection and State museums.
This research was supported by a grant of sea time on RV Investigator from the CSIRO Marine National Facility which is supported by the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It includes support from Parks Australia, Bush Blitz and The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, and in collaboration with a network of leading museums, universities and research institutes.
Footage and images including workshop activities, marine specimens and voyage footage from RV Investigator are available here .
Additional quotes for attribution
Toni Moate, Director of the CSIRO Marine National Facility:
"The Coral Sea Frontier voyage was a wonderful collaboration between national and international researchers and research agencies, working together to increase our understanding of the deep-sea life in this region."
"These incredible discoveries add to the ever-growing list of new species that RV Investigator's voyages have helped to identify and are crucial for protecting the extraordinary biodiversity in Australia's oceans."
"The voyage again demonstrates the important collaboration hub and crucial capability for deep-sea discovery that RV Investigator provides the scientific community."
Dr Claire Rowe, Collection Manager Marine Invertebrates, Australian Museum (Voyage and workshop participant):
"Jellyfish specimens are usually fixed in formalin in order to preserve their morphological characters. This preservation method makes DNA extraction more challenging compared to fresh tissues. Voyages such as the recent one to the Coral Sea allow us to take tissue samples from the jellyfish before they are fixed in formalin, and it is exciting to get samples from these deep-sea specimens!"
"A lot of the species collected have either not been sequenced before, or not been sequenced from Australian waters. As a result, sequencing these samples and combining the results with the morphological data will allow us to determine how the different species and populations are related, and help us confirm if there are any new species. This is necessary for jellyfish as it can be difficult to identify new species based on morphological characters alone."
Dr Candice Untiedt, CSIRO (Voyage and workshop participant):
"Voyages like the Coral Sea Frontiers expedition are essential for uncovering biodiversity in our marine parks – but collecting specimens is just the first step; turning them into knowledge depends on taxonomic expertise."
"Through Ocean Census-supported workshops, local and international taxonomists came together to work through hundreds of specimens, combining detailed morphological analysis with DNA sequencing to identify species new to science. Discoveries across invertebrate groups like jellyfish, sponges and polychaete worms are emerging from deeper waters adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef and from remote seamounts."
"By securing these specimens in national museum collections, we ensure they can be studied for generations to come – laying the foundation for future species discovery and deepening our understanding of Australia's marine biodiversity."
Shaun Barclay, Branch Head, Parks Australia Marine and Islands Branch:
"This work demonstrates the power of collaboration between science and marine park management. By supporting research in remote and deep-water environments, we're strengthening our understanding of the Coral Sea Marine Park and improving how we protect it. These discoveries will directly inform how we manage and conserve this globally significant marine ecosystem."
Jo Harding, Manager, Bush Blitz:
"Bush Blitz is proud to support research that continues to uncover Australia's extraordinary biodiversity – including in some of our most remote marine environments. Documenting new species is a critical first step in understanding and protecting the ecosystems they depend on."
