We all know that our oceans are home to a dazzling and diverse array of animals like dolphins, whales, fish and corals. But have you heard of ghost shrimp, giant spiny lobster, yeti crab or xenophyophores? These are just a few of many recently discovered species in our oceans, unveiled by the Census of Marine Life. In a span of ten years, more than 6000 potentially new species have been discovered in this global effort to determine the extent of biodiversity in our oceans.
It seems there is no limit to the extreme environments these strange, brave creatures call home. Many nooks and crannies of our oceans are occupied – including rocky seamount slopes, deep ocean trenches devoid of light,