Posted by Marine biologists off the coast of Australia have discovered what they believe to be hundreds of new species on the Great Barrier and Ningaloo Reefs. The project is part of CReefs, a global census of coral reefs, which is in turn part of the larger Census of Marine Life, an ongoing effort to catalog all ocean life.
The researchers were kind enough to take a number of incredible photos, many of which we share below. It’s not clear to me which of these are newly identified organisms and which are just pretty critters they encountered along the way, but many of them are spectacular regardless.
Cuttlefish off Lizard Island. Photo: John Huisman, Murdoch University, 2008
Christmas Tree Worm off Lizard Island. Photo: John Huisman, Murdoch University, 2008
Twisted Nudibranch, Chromodoris elizabethina, on the reef face off Heron Island. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Many more below the fold.
Ctenophore or comb jelly, collected of Wassteri reef, Heron Island. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Green banded snapping shrimp, Alpheus parvirostris, taken from dead coral head off Heron Island. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Octopus venturing out. Photo: John Huisman, Murdoch University, 2008
Pteropod jelly captured near surface off Lizard Island. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Colonial salp jelly. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
White tipped coral crab collected from dead coral head off Heron Island. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Sabellid or fan worm. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Pohls Sea urchins found off Lizard Island. Photo: Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum, 2008.
Thanks to Ratna Ralkowski for alerting us! More photos
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