Ocean's Hidden World of Plankton

An international team of scientists have been working on a project for the past three years that consists of identifying and documenting the numerous plankton species that live in our oceans.

Their findings are currently being inputted to a database that will become the world's most extensive database of planktonic organisms. So far they have found 35 species of bacteria, 150 000 single-celled plants and animals, and they have identified 5000 new ocean viruses.

The goal of the project has been to create the most accurate catalogue of planktonic species to date- and they are certainly reaching their objective!

It's wonderful to see how ocean research is progressing. The more we learn about our oceans, the closer we come to understanding life on Earth. We encourage everyone to explore the seas in whatever ways they can, whether it be through research organizations, scuba diving or even piloting an ROV to explore the underwater wonders that our waters have to offer.

To see some of the amazing creatures that have been discovered and read more about their findings click here.