In the remote heart of the Southern Ocean, researchers from the Nippon Foundation have confirmed the discovery of 30 new marine species, including the astonishing carnivorous ‘death ball’ sponge. Unlike traditional, filtering and passive sponges, this one looks like a sphere covered with hooks capable of trapping prey. The discovery occurred during two science cruises in 2025, exploring areas around Antarctica that have never been studied before.
Alongside the predatory sponge, the infamous zombie worms (Osedax) have been observed, which live without a mouth or intestine, feeding on symbiotic bacteria that digest fat inside the bones of large vertebrates such as whales. The discovery confirms how the deep ocean remains a largely unexplored laboratory.
All species discovered
The expeditions exploited advanced technologies, such as high-definition ROVs and precise mapping of the seabed, allowing the documentation of species never seen by man. Thanks to the Species Discovery Workshop, the samples were examined quickly, compressed in a process that would traditionally take decades. This collaborative approach accelerated the verification of 30 new species in just three months after the cruise ended.
Other discoveries include iridescent scale worms, starfish from the Brisingidae, Benthopectinidae and Paxillosidae families, as well as rare crustaceans, including isopods and amphipods, some of which may constitute a new family. Gastropods and bivalves adapted to volcanic and hydrothermal environments have also been identified, while some species of black corals and a possible genus of sea pens are still being studied.
Extreme areas still to be explored
The cruises explored two key areas: hydrothermal volcanic winds near the South Sandwich Islands and a section of the Bellingshausen Sea made accessible by a giant iceberg. In this last isolated area, a colossal juvenile squid was observed for the first time.
These results highlight how poorly sampled Antarctica and its surrounding seas are. As the Nippon Foundation points out, only 30% of the samples collected have been analyzed so far and already 30 new confirmed species demonstrate how marine biodiversity remains largely unknown. The combination of expeditions, advanced technology and scientific workshops has made this extraordinary acceleration in the discovery of marine species possible, transforming the deep ocean into a laboratory of never-before-seen wonders.
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