LARGEST PROGRAMME IN HISTORY LAUNCHED TO DISCOVER OCEAN LIFE NR

LARGEST PROGRAMME IN HISTORY LAUNCHED TO DISCOVER OCEAN LIFE NR

STORY: LARGEST PROGRAMME IN HISTORY LAUNCHED TO DISCOVER OCEAN LIFE.

HEADLINE: A global alliance of scientists and explorers has begun a race against time to find at least 100,000 new marine species in the next decade before overfishing and global warming drive entire populations to extinction.  The initiative, called Ocean Census, is spearheaded by The Nippon Foundation - which works to solve global issues through social innovation - and Nekton, a UK marine research institute. 

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DURATION 06:27

SOURCE OCEAN CENSUS

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STUDIO INTRO  

A global alliance of scientists and explorers has begun a race against time to find at least 100,000 new marine species in the next decade, before overfishing and global warming drive entire populations to extinction.  

The initiative, called Ocean Census, is spearheaded by The Nippon Foundation - which works to solve global issues through social innovation - and UK marine research institute Nekton. It will be the largest programme in history to discover new marine life, embarking on dozens of expeditions across the global ocean. 

The Nippon Foundation chairman Yohei Sasakawa believes inspiring the public is fundamental to success and science has to join forces with business and civil society to make real change happen through a collaborative worldwide effort.

VOICEOVER

Today an average of around 2000 new life forms are found each year in the ocean, a number which has changed little since the 19th century. The ambition of the Ocean Census alliance is to accelerate that to 10,000 a year, on average. 

The project will be headquartered in Oxford, where the University Museum of Natural History is home to specimen finds dating back to the time of Charles Darwin, whose theory of evolution is the basis of much of our understanding of the so-called 'tree of life' on earth.  Science Director Professor Alex Rogers believes there's not a moment to be lost:

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH)  PROF. ALEX ROGERS, OCEAN CENSUS SCIENCE DIRECTOR: "We are in a race against time. We have global warming, the ocean is losing oxygen, it's acidifying and as a result we are losing species. If that process continues then we will face another major extinction in the ocean and we will lose great swathes of the 'tree of life' essentially". 

At the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England, and at a series of similar research centres around the world, scientists will employ capabilities offered by modern DNA extraction and gene sequencing of specimens then experts will harness the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to help with specimen identification and description.  

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) GRAEME OATLEY, WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE: "So the first stage is here in the laboratory where we extract the DNA from the sample we prepare it to a sufficient quality to submit it for the sequencing. The sequencing team will then take that DNA ,put it through their machines, and that then pulls out data - your 'As,Gs, Cs and Ts' - that make up DNA".

The results are pieced together to establish whether what has been found really is a new species . It's about creating a genetic library of marine life. 

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) NOAH GETTLE, WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE: "Nowadays we can do this in a few days to a few weeks just by looking and comparing different pieces of DNA"

For scientists on the frontline of the fight against global warming and overfishing the Ocean Census programme is critical. 

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) AYA NASEEM MALDIVES CORAL INSTITUTE: "We're moving to a 1.5 degrees rise in global temperatures by 2030 and at that rate corals of the world will be reduced by more than 90% ; so unless we can drastically reduce global carbon emissions coral reefs will not survive."

Ocean Census is not a one-off project , the aim is to lay the foundations of a diverse and inclusive science partnership that spans the globe and creates a lasting legacy.

VOX POPS (ENGLISH) 

TOUFEIK SAMAAI,SOUTH AFRICAN SPONGIOLOGIST: "The question is how can we actually protect our marine environment for our children."

NURIA RICO SEIJO,NEKTON MARINE BIOLOGIST: "It's kind of like a race. So we are racing against something that is being destroyed that we don't even know what it is that's being destroyed."

DAVID CONWAY,MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: "If we are going to make changes to global warming you need more than just a bit of science looking at what's in the sea - you've got to convince people to do something about it."   

Taking viewers on a voyage of discovery to see the wonders and abundance of life underwater is part of the philosophy of the Ocean Census programme. The team will mount dozens of expeditions from surface level down to full ocean depth in partnership with host nations  and as new species are found citizens in each country will get the chance to help name some of the creatures. 

OLIVER STEEDS, OCEAN CENSUS DIRECTOR: “We need people to fall in love with the wonder and majesty of ocean life if we want to have any chance of protecting it. Finding ways for people from all walks of life to be involved, is vital to success”,

Vessels from the philanthropic, government and commercial fleets with advanced technologies to discover ocean life will be deployed along with  divers, submersibles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).  

There have been efforts to carry out a Census of Marine Life before, but it is the scale and sole focus of this programme that is unprecedented. 

For countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis data from this project will be invaluable generating new insights into how to protect the ocean.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) MARA LAWNICZAK,WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE " There's so much of the ocean that is undiscovered in terms of its species richness and diversity and the people who will be out there capturing and collecting these organisms and describing and seeing them for the first time and preserving them in such a way as they can come here (to Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge) and we can generate that baseline understanding of their genomes  and forever more there's a record of what that organism's DNA looked like and this will be really important as we move forward to try to understand what is out there and are we doing a good job at protecting it." 

The ocean is the cradle of evolution - a source of food, oxygen and cures for diseases. It is the world's largest habitat and all humans depend on it. So every new species that's found is another piece in the puzzle of life itself. 

Source: All content Ocean Census unless otherwise stated. 

All visuals can be used for free on all broadcast, social media, and digital publishing platforms in perpetuity with mandatory on screen credit "Courtesy of Ocean Census" for the express and sole purpose of illustrating this and future Ocean Census stories.

No archive resales and no re-usage for other editorial purposes outside of the Ocean Census programme are permitted, without prior written permission from Nekton.

1. Various sea creatures (FILE - Source: Schmidt Ocean Institute)
2. Aerial Oxford flying across the University Museum of Natural History (Shot March 27,2023)
3. Statue of Charles Darwin British naturalist,biologist, and geologist best known for his theory of evolution(Shot March 27,2023)
4. Specimens and exhibits brought to Oxford by early explorers (Shot March 27,2023)
5. Set-up shot Prof Alex Rogers, Ocean Census Lead Scientist interview (Shot March 27,2023)
6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) PROF. ALEX ROGERS, OCEAN CENSUS, SCIENCE DIRECTOR: "We are in a race against time. We have global warming, the ocean is losing oxygen, it's acidifying and as a result we are losing species. If that process continues then we will face another major extinction in the ocean and we will lose great swathes of the 'tree of life' essentially". (Shot March 27,2023).
7. Aerials Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridgeshire, UK (FILE - source: Wellcome Sanger Institute)
8. Gene sequencing machine loaded (Shot March 28,2023)
9. DNA being extracted in the laboratory (Shot March 28,2023)
10. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) GRAEME OATLEY, WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE " So the first stage is here in the laboratory where we extract the DNA from the sample we prepare it to a sufficient quality to submit it for the sequencing. The sequencing team will then take that DNA ,put it through their machines, and that then pulls out data - your 'As,Gs, Cs and Ts' - that make up DNA".
11. Data being examined on computer(Shot March 28,2023)
12. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) NOAH GETTLE , WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE: "Nowadays we can do this in a few days to a few weeks just by looking and comparing different pieces of DNA" (Shot March 28,2023)
13. Underwater shot coral reef (Maldives, September 2022)
14. SOUNDBITE AYA NASEEM MALDIVES CORAL INSTITUTE "We're moving to a 1.5 degrees rise in global temperatures by 2030 and at that rate corals of the world will be reduced by more than 90% so unless we can drastically reduce global carbon emissions coral reefs will not survive" (Maldives, September 2022)
15. Aerial field research station in Maldives ( February 2023)
16. Scientists in laboratory at field research centre in the Maldives ( February 2023)
17. TOUFEIK SAMAAI,SOUTH AFRICAN SPONGIOLOGIST: " The question is how can we actually protect our marine environment for our children." February 2023)
18. NURIA RICO SEIJO, NEKTON MARINE BIOLOGIST: "It's kind of like a race. So we are racing against something that is being destroyed which
19.  we don't even know what it is that's being destroyed."February 2023)
20. DAVID CONWAY, MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: "If we are going to make changes to global warming you need more than just a bit of science looking at what's in the sea - you've got to convince people to do something about it."   ( February 2023)
21. Nekton team launching Omega Seamaster II submersible (UP SOUND -– ‘clear to dive dive dive’) (Maldives, September 2022)
22. Ray swimming underwater (Maldives, September 2022)
23. Maldivian scientists at work in submersible underwater (Maldives, September 2022)
24. Scientists examining samples taken from ocean off Maldives coast (Maldives, September 2022)
25. OLIVER STEEDS, OCEAN CENSUS DIRECTOR: “We need people to fall in love with the majesty and wonder of ocean life if we want to have any chance of protecting it. Finding ways for people from all walks of life to be involved, is going to be vital to the success of the programme”, (April 13,2023)
26. Falkor Too, Schmidt Ocean Institute ship, on sea trials  (RECENT 2023 FILE  - SOURCE: Schmidt Ocean Institute)
27. Schmidt Institute team working with equipment on ship and underwater (RECENT 2023 FILE - source: Schmidt Ocean Institute)
28. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) MARA LAWNICZAK, WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE " There's so much of the ocean that is undiscovered in terms of its species richness and diversity and the people who will be out there capturing and collecting these organisms and describing and seeing them for the first time and preserving them in such a way as they can come here (to Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge) and we can generate that baseline understanding of their genomes  and forever more there's a record of what that organism's DNA looked like and this will be really important as we move forward to try to understand what is out there and are we doing a good job at protecting it." (Shot March 28,2023)
29. Turtle swimming (Maldives, September 2022)
30. Montage of corals (FILE - SOURCE: Schmidt Ocean Institute)
31. Ray swimming (Maldives September 2022)

OCEAN CENSUS LAUNCH FAQS

www.oceancensus.org 
 

To download the original FAQ document, please click here.

What is Ocean Census?

Ocean Census is the largest programme in history to discover life in our ocean. It will be launched on April 27th, 2023 and will herald a new era of pioneering research and scientific exploration to accelerate species discovery and protection. Recent technological advances in high resolution imaging, DNA sequencing, and machine learning mean scientists can now massively accelerate the process. 

This will revolutionise our understanding of marine life which lies largely undiscovered beneath the waves. Today, scientists believe they have described little over 10% of the species that exist. It is believed there are 2.2 million species in our ocean, to date about 240,000 have been described.

Ocean Census has set the ambitious target of finding at least 100,000 new marine species in the first decade.  

We currently describe only around 1,700 – 2,000 new ocean species a year. The time from discovery to registration of new organisms can vary greatly depending on the species, existing species knowledge, the research entity, research method, and level of identification. This currently takes as little as one to two years and as long as several decades. That rate of discovery has changed little since the 1800s. 

Who is involved in Ocean Census?

Ocean Census is a global collaborative initiative, an open network of science, business, media and civil society organisations joining forces. It has been founded by The Nippon Foundation, a private, non-profit foundation for social innovation, and Nekton, a UK-based marine science and conservation institute. 

What is the estimated cost of Ocean Census?

The cost of Ocean Census is dependent on how large the initiative grows. Whilst the Nippon Foundation is providing the project’s initial core funding, the alliance of partners involved are committing their own resources to the global effort. 

Why is it taking place? 

Ocean life is fundamental to all life on Earth. It produces the oxygen we breathe, isolates carbon dioxide, creates food for billions of people and is constantly providing vital scientific advances to fight disease. 

We urgently need to protect this precious resource and the life within it, but we can’t protect what we do not know. 

Ocean Census will help to significantly advance our understanding of fundamental science – oxygen production, carbon cycling, sustainable food production, the evolution of life on Earth and discoveries of new medicine and biotechnologies. 

Ocean Census will help to identify how marine ecosystems are responding to climate change, assessing how marine life could support climate adaptation and alleviate the impacts of climate change for the benefit of all. A recent IPBES-IPCC Co-Sponsored Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Climate Change showed strong linkages between measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change and biodiversity.

How will Ocean Census work?

• Scientists from across the world will embark on expeditions to the ocean’s biodiversity hotspots to find new life from the surface to full ocean depth (10,925 metres). 
• Specimens will be sent to Ocean Census Biodiversity Centres which harness technological advances across high resolution imaging, DNA sequencing and machine learning to speed up and scale up the process of discovery. 
• As more partners get involved in high, middle-and low-income nations, more scientists and centres will participate.
• Networks of taxonomists will connect virtually to draw on the aggregated data set created which will provide a complete picture of species discovery and description.
• This aggregated, open-sourced data is added to a network of data centres globally and made freely accessible to scientists, marine policymakers and the public. We are working with these data centres to increase interoperability with a goal of having a single point of access - the Ocean Census Biodiversity System for scientists, decision makers, and the public.

Why should I care? 

Ocean life makes all life on Earth possible and holds the wisdom of four billion years of evolution on Earth (life has existed in the ocean for three times longer than land). For context, 33 phyla are known in the Tree of Life, of which 32 are found in the ocean and 17 on land and in freshwater. Phyla are the major branches of ‘The Tree of Life’, how life is classified. Life in our ocean is responsible for much of the air we breathe, regulating our climate and Earth’s chemistry, and a vital food source for billions. To sustain and benefit life on Earth, we need to understand, protect and restore ocean life.

Who owns the data, is it ethical to take samples from the ocean, particularly in developing countries?

All data is open access for science, decision makers and the public for non-commercial use. All expeditions and research is co-produced hand-in-hand with host nation scientists and governments and the species, specimens, and related data discovered from territorial waters are owned by the host nation (under Nagoya Protocol and related laws). Under the UN Law of the Sea, species, specimens, and data from international waters are part of the collective commons, owned by the people of the planet and all data is open access for the common benefit of humankind. 

Who will name the species?

Species from a nation’s territorial waters are given Latin names by the scientists doing the

species descriptions where at all possible, in consultation with host nation scientists. A smaller number of species will be given Common Names by the people of the host nation of each expedition in a process that will be managed and guided by the scientists from the host nation. Species from international waters are given Latin names by the scientists doing the species descriptions with a small number of species to be given Common Names by the public. These protocols will be established in the first phase of the programme.

Isn't it all too late and the ocean is doomed?

No, it's not too late. We have a short window of opportunity, perhaps the next ten years, when the decisions we all make will likely affect the next thousand or even ten thousand years. We hope the giant leaps in knowledge we can make with the discovery of ocean life can help put us on a better track towards a positive future for people and the planet.

What does success look like and how will it be measured?

Success for us is ultimately helping inform the protection and restoration of ocean life so it can continue to support life on Earth. This requires a lot of other global issues to line up towards this outcome which are outside of our control. However, in terms of our contribution it will be measured by:

• The number of species discovered – the goal is at least 100,000. Each one represents a vital piece of the code of life on earth - the more we discover, the more we understand how life exists and how to sustain and strengthen life in the ocean and therefore on Earth. 
• The range of discoveries which will benefit all humankind – from oxygen production, carbon cycling, sustainable food production, the evolution of life on Earth and discoveries of new medicine and biotechnologies.  
• The number of scientists involved, particularly taxonomists. Currently taxonomists are declining in number and are usually found in high-income nations. Success will be growing a network of scientists engaged in the discovery and conservation of ocean life – and notably, far more equitably distributed across the global ocean.

We have heard that many pharmaceuticals and cures have been found in the ocean. What do you expect to find? 

Marine genetic resources are the genetic material present in all marine life and have been a source of many important pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and personal care products (e.g., currently 13 pharmaceutical drugs derived from marine organisms have been clinically approved, including treatments for cancer, neuropathic pain, COVID-19, HIV-AIDS and antivirals, with a further 24 marine-derived products in clinical trials and 250 in preclinical investigations). 

Harnessing marine genetic resources will galvanise marine biotechnology industries including through the discovery of new drugs to treat disease and identifying bulk eco-chemicals and sustainable bioplastics. However, Ocean Census is not involved in bioprospecting nor any onward commercialisation.

Is the extraction of coral & other samples a harmful process?

Ocean Census will deploy high-precision sampling tools to collect corals and other large organisms. This means that a small number of individual samples will be collected and then preserved for further classification in museums or other laboratories. Sub-samples will be taken for DNA analysis. These organisms will be killed as part of this process but the number of samples will be minimised.

Smaller organisms that live in sand or mud will be collected as small samples of sediment, preserved and then later extracted. Again, bare minimum sampling will be undertaken.

Ocean Census may opportunistically collect specimens from fisheries surveys or other sources. These organisms would usually die as a result of collection but in this case they will be preserved for scientific description.

Are you using larger vessels to carry out the research, is this not bad for the environment?

Ocean Census will combine vessels from the philanthropic, government academic and commercial fleets. We are deploying a combination of advanced subsea technologies with divers, human submersibles, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). At present these vessels are generally powered by fuel oil and these do have a CO2 footprint. Our shore-based and nearshore expeditions will have a much lower carbon footprint. As the programme continues overtime, large hydrocarbon-powered vessels will likely be replaced by vessels powered by ammonium or hydrogen.

What if we fail?

The loss and destruction of ocean life is an existential crisis. Without ocean life, life on Earth will not continue as we know it. The more we can do right now, the more positive the impact we can have down the tracks. 

How do I get involved?

We welcome all partners from government, science, expeditions, media, philanthropy, business and civil society to join the alliance and be part of Ocean Census. Please do contact us through the website. There are a multitude of different ways that different partners can get involved including:
 

• Governments: 1) Invite Ocean Census to work together to discover ocean life in your territorial waters, 2) Work with Ocean Census to develop or align research grants, research expeditions and scientists to advance research in ocean life.
• Science: 1) Collaborate on species discovery with the Ocean Census science team, 2) Take on a challenge to discover new species, 3) Contribute your new species to the global effort, 4) Register projects involved in discovery of ocean life, 5) Register taxonomic skills and expertise.
• Expeditions: 1) Register your expedition to become an Official Ocean Census Expedition, 2) Participate or partner with Ocean Census on our expeditions, 3) Invite Ocean Census taxonomists to join your expedition, 4) Collaborate with marine operations – from vessels to subsea technology deployment and development.
• Media / Engagement: 1) Engage with our media team for stories about ocean life 2) Get in touch with the Ocean Life Media Centre to share your stories of ocean life and request support to amplify across news and social media, 3) Develop partnerships across education, installations, broadcast etc.
• Philanthropy: 1) Co-develop programmes and funding to undertake Ocean Census activities across science, policy, expeditions, technology, engagement and/or capacity development, 2) Align existing initiatives with Ocean Census. 
• Business: 1) Provide in-kind support to Ocean Census, 2) Co-develop and fund specific programmes including science, policy, expeditions, technology, engagement and/or capacity development, 3) Become an Ocean Census Sponsor with a bespoke range of partnership benefits.
• Civil Society: 1) Co-develop programmes that meet your and Ocean Census objectives, 2) Align existing initiatives with Ocean Census.

How do I follow the programme?

Latest news, films, content and events are updated on the website and please subscribe to Ocean Census News (our monthly digital newsletter) and follow Ocean Census across our social media channels:

Instagram: @oceancensus 

Facebook: /oceancensus 

LinkedIn: /oceancensus

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@oceancensus