Category: Biodiversity Data Journal

Revealing the Invisible: A New Baseline for Salish Sea Diatoms Answers a Global Call

A new checklist published in the Biodiversity Data Journal sheds light on the diversity of diatoms in the Salish Sea.

Invisible to the naked eye, phytoplankton play a critically important role at the base of marine food webs, yet their diversity continues to be underestimated. Recently, the UN Global Compact released “The Plankton Manifesto,” highlighting how these microscopic organisms are crucial for addressing the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Diatoms, a major group of photosynthetic microalgae, are particularly powerful in driving roughly 20% of global photosynthesis and forming the very base of marine food webs.

Yet despite their monumental importance, microalgal ecosystems remain largely unexplored and poorly mapped. That is why a recent major scientific undertaking in the Northeast Pacific is so significant.

A First-of-its-Kind Baseline in the Salish Sea

sample locations from the Salish Sea
Map of sampling locations. A Distribution of sampling sites throughout the Salish Sea (green markers).Red frame: area of enlargement around Galiano Island (1B); B Sampling sites around Galiano Island (green markers). Map credit to Webber et al., 2026.

Diatom records of the Salish Sea bioregion have historically been fragmentary, dating back to early inventories in the 1800s, and with only scattered surveys filling the gap across the 20th and 21st centuries. As Andrew Simon, PhD student at the University of Alberta, president of IMERSS, and one of the study’s researchers, puts it:

The Salish Sea has long been studied for its rich marine biodiversity. Yet, until now, the history of research on its primary producers has been fragmented, and we have lacked a consolidated baseline record.

Now, for the first time, researchers have taken a significant step toward closing that gap. A team of Canadian researchers —  Mark Webber (University of Victoria; IMERSS), Elaine Humphrey (UVic; IMERSS), Arjan van Asselt (IMERSS), Alice Chang (UBC), Evan Morian (Hakai Institute; UBC), and Andrew Simon (IMERSS; University of Alberta) — has published a new checklist of 924 diatom taxa alongside a curated dataset of 11,469 records in the open-access journal Biodiversity Data Journal, providing a long-needed foundation for environmental monitoring across this region of the northeast Pacific Ocean.

  • Trigonium quinquelobatum
    Trigonium quinquelobatum, external valve view. SEM. Scale bar: 20 µm, Credit to Webber et al., 2026.
  • Cocconeis kerguelensis
    Cocconeis kerguelensis, SV. LM. Scale bar: 5 µm. Photo credit to Webber et al., 2026
  • Neocalyptrella robusta
    Neocalyptrella robusta, live, girdle view. LM. Scale bar: 50 µm, Credit to Webber et al., 2026

The findings include some curious discoveries. Several taxa are reported for the first time on the Pacific coast of North America, including Trigonium quinquelobatum, while others, such as Cocconeis kerguelensis (previously known only from the Indian Ocean) and Neocalyptrella robusta (previously confined to California), suggest a range expansion into cooler waters.

Ecologically, the genus Tabularia stands out as a dominant presence on eelgrass and macroalgae, despite having few species. In contrast, genera like Auliscus, Biddulphia, and Mastogloia are surprisingly scarce in the Salish Sea compared to other regions, leaving open questions about what limits their occurrence there.

This dataset also directly answers a key recommendation from the UN Plankton Manifesto, which urges the scientific community to strengthen plankton research and develop comprehensive plankton atlases to biomonitor the health of marine ecosystems.

Why Diatoms? Why Now?

Bacteriastrum hyalinium

Bacteriastrum hyalinium, valve view. LM. Scale bar 20 µm. Credit to Webber et al., 2026.

The Salish Sea —  the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples —  is home to roughly nine million people and is experiencing rapid growth in urbanization, industrial activity, and marine shipping.

Because diatom populations respond quickly to changes in water quality and environmental conditions, they serve as highly effective early-warning bioindicators for shifts in ecosystem health and pollution levels.

Without a clear picture of what the base of the food web looks like today, it is impossible to understand the impact of tomorrow’s environmental changes.

Attheya longicornis
Attheya longicornis, girdle view. SEM. Scale bar: 10 µm. Credit to Webber et al., 2026.

“We are fortunate to have had a dedicated group of academic researchers and community scientists contribute to this work over many years,” says Mark Webber, IMERSS’ resident diatomist. “Drawing from the literature, microscope analysis, and molecular sequencing, we now have a better picture of the diatoms present in the Salish Sea. Diatoms are vital to the health of countless organisms —  from shorebirds and shellfish to fish and mammals. This baseline provides a reference point for understanding changes that could ripple across the entire web of life.“

Local Research for Global Solutions

Actinoptychus adriaticus

Actinoptychus adriaticus var. pumila, exterior valve view. SEM. Scale bar: 5 µm. Credit to Webber et al., 2026.

The UN Plankton Manifesto stresses that understanding and managing plankton communities can unlock “Plankton-Based Solutions” to support fisheries, clean waters, and climate change mitigation.

Our work demonstrates how sustained collaboration between community scientists and research institutes can bridge these gaps, through partnering community expertise and observation with access to microscopy and molecular technologies,

the team concludes.

The new checklist and dataset will support researchers and policymakers in environmental assessments of the Salish Sea, as the team continues to refine and analyze the data to support ongoing regional research.

Original source

Webber M, Humphrey E, van Asselt A, Chang A, Morien E, Simon ADF (2026) Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) of the Salish Sea, Northeast Pacific: annotated checklist and new species reports. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e189060. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e189060 

About Institute for Multidisciplinary Ecological Research in the Salish Sea (IMERSS)

IMERSS, or the Institute for Multidisciplinary Ecological Research in the Salish Sea, is a non-profit society based in Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada. IMERSS joins scientific researchers, citizen scientists, and Indigenous communities to conduct multidisciplinary ecological research, monitor biodiversity and the environment, and communicate results to better understand and respond to change in the Salish Sea bioregion.

For more interesting research, follow  Biodiversity Data Journal,on Bluesky , Facebook and X.

Celebrating Deep Day with Incredible Deep-Sea Research

Protecting the deep sea, the largest and least explored habitat on Earth, requires collaborative effort.

May 7th marks Deep Day, a global day of awareness and action dedicated to the deep sea. Founded by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, it aims to raise awareness of the deep sea’s immense ecological importance and call for its protection against threats like deep-sea mining and destructive fishing.

To celebrate the wonders of our oceans and raise awareness of the incredible biodiversity of the deep sea, we at Pensoft Publishers would like to highlight some of the remarkable marine studies that have recently been published in our scientific journals.

A Global Collaboration to Uncover Deep-Sea Amphipods

24 deep-sea amphipods
The 24 newly described deep-sea amphipod species. Image credit to: Eleanor Frost, National Oceanography Centre

Demonstrating the power of global teamwork, an international group of experts recently discovered 24 new deep-sea amphipod species in the central Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). Researchers from institutions worldwide, including the University of Lodz and the National Oceanography Centre, came together for a coordinated taxonomy workshop to achieve this. Their work revealed a completely new evolutionary branch with the discovery of a new superfamily, Mirabestioidea.

Crucially, their findings form part of the International Seabed Authority’s Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI) and its ‘One Thousand Reasons’ project, which aims to formally describe 1,000 new species by the end of the decade.

Highlighting the importance of this joint effort, Dr. Anna Jażdżewska from the University of Lodz shared:

This was a truly collaborative process that allowed us to achieve the ambitious goal of describing more than 20 species new to science within a year – something that would not have been possible if each of us worked independently. The team’s findings provide information that is crucial for future conservation and policy decisions.

Learn more in the Special Issue: New deep-sea Amphipoda from Clarion-Clipperton Zone

What lives 10 km below the surface?

@pensoft.publishers

😯Fascinating new #study recorded 108 morphotaxa from 4,500m down to the #hadal depths of 9,775m, revealing the hidden life of the NW Pacific trenches. 🎥They analyzed 460 hours of video from landers & submersibles across the Japan, Ryukyu, and Izu-Ogasawara trenches. 👇Full study here: https://doi.org/10.3897 /BDJ.14.e182172 📗You can read all about it on Pensoft’s blog 👇 https://blog.pensoft.net/2026/04/06/what-lives-10-km-below-the-surface-a-new-look-at-life-in-japans-deepest-ocean-trenches/ Research center: Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. Main funders of the expedition: Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic #deepsea #sciencetok #research

♬ THE MOON – Camargguinho
Photo and video credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic, Jamieson et al., 2026

Another recent expedition provided a profound look at life up to nearly 10 kilometers below the surface in the Japan, Ryukyu, and Izu-Ogasawara trenches, cataloging at least 108 distinct organism groups. The research captured rare footage of species interactions at extreme depths – and one baffling, unidentified animal that has left taxonomists worldwide perplexed.

Animalia incerta sedis
The unknown organism or Animalia incerta sedis. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, o Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.

Rather than using traditional trawls that can damage fragile organisms, the team utilized crewed submersibles and free-fall baited landers. Explaining the value of this non-destructive method, the research team noted:

This combination enabled us to build the most comprehensive visual baseline yet for abyssal and hadal megafauna in the Northwest Pacific to date.

They added that the study aims to establish a foundation for the future, emphasizing that:

More than anything, the hadal zone remains one of Earth’s least-explored and most intriguing frontiers.

Learn more: Jamieson AJ, Swanborn DJB, Bond T, Cundy MC, Fujiwara Y, Lindsay D, Stott MS, Kitazato H (2026) Faunal biodiversity of the lower abyssal and hadal zones of the Japan, Ryukyu and Izu-Ogasawara trenches (NW Pacific Ocean; 4534-9775 m). Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e182172. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e182172

The Internet Names a New Deep-Sea Chiton

Ferreiraella populi
Ferreiraella populi on woodfall. Image credit to ©ChongChen/JAMSTEC

Finally, highlighting a unique way the public can engage with science and taxonomy, a recently found deep-sea chiton was named by the internet after science YouTuber Ze Frank featured it in an episode of his “True Facts” series. Originally discovered in 2024 within the Izu-Ogasawara Trench at a depth of 5,500 meters, this new species belongs to the genus Ferreiraella, a rare and specialized group of mollusks that live exclusively on sunken wood in the deep sea.

From over 8,000 suggestions submitted across social media, the research team selected the name Ferreiraella populi. The epithet populi is a Latin singular noun in the genitive case meaning “of the people”.

Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart, co-chair of the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA), emphasized the broader significance of this public discovery:

Ferreiraella populi exemplifies the overwhelming biodiversity of the oceans, the vast majority of which remains unexplored. Many species go extinct before we even know they exist – this is especially true for marine invertebrates.

Learn more: (SOSA) SOSA, Chen C, Frank H, Kraniotis L, Nakadera Y, Schwabe E, Sigwart JD, Trautwein B, Vončina K (2026) Ocean Species Discoveries 28–30 — new species of chitons (Mollusca, Polyplacophora) and a public naming competition. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e180491. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e180491 

@pensoft.publishers

Happy #DeepDay ! Started by Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, this annual day is aimed at raising awareness to the incredible diversity in our deep seas. Today, we’re sharing with you three remarkable studies from our journals – each one a window into a fascinating world, hoping to raise awareness and inspire action to #DefendtheDeep . 👇𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: https://blog.pensoft.net/…/celebrating-deep-day-with…/ 🔎By analysing 460 hours of video from landers and submersibles across the Japan, Ryukyu, and Izu-Ogasawara trenches, researchers found something extraordinary: a mysterious organism so unusual it was classified as Animalia incerta sedis! 📗𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 Biodiversity Data Journal (𝐁𝐃𝐉) 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e182172 Cc: Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre at The The University of Western Australia, JAMSTEC: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic LLC 🎥Footage credit: Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic, Jamieson et al., 2026 After thousands of name suggestions from the public, the “chiton of the people” has been officially described in Biodiversity Data Journal. 🙌A huge thank you to everyone who voted and participated! Cc: True Facts Senckenberg Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance – SOSA 🎥Footage credit: ©ChongChen/JAMSTEC 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐃𝐉: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e180491 🦐24 new deep-sea amphipods discovered in the Clarion Clipperton Zone. Through an international collaboration – with key momentum from a 2024 taxonomic workshop at Uniwersytet Łódzki – researchers described 24 new species of amphipods from the central Pacific abyss. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 ZooKeys: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/issue/4856/ See less #deepsea #deepocean #sciencetok

♬ Fantasy in an Immersive World – Ernesto P. Neto

These studies highlight the vastness of the unexplored frontier that our deep seas and oceans offer. Revealing this hidden life – from entirely new evolutionary branches of amphipods to records of unknown organisms – requires global collaboration, cutting-edge exploration technologies, and the involvement of the general public.

Ultimately, this shared pursuit of discovery provides the fundamental knowledge crucial for conservation and policy decisions. As Deep Day reminds us of the encroaching threats from deep-sea mining, human-derived debris, and destructive fishing, we must work together to understand these fragile habitats so that we can effectively protect them and #DefendtheDeep.

For more curious research follow Pensoft Publishers’ socials: Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X.

What lives 10 km below the surface? A new look at life in Japan’s deepest ocean trenches

A new study in Biodiversity Data Journal provides baseline data on habitats and organism interactions in Japan’s deepest ocean trenches.

Guest blog post by Dr. Denise Swanborn

The Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre at the University of Western Australia specialises in exploring life in the most extreme parts of the ocean – the abyssal (about 3,000-6,000 meters deep) and hadal (anything deeper than 6,000 meters) zones.

Reaching these depths is not easy. It takes specialised vessels, full-ocean depth-rated equipment, and enormous coordination and planning. Months – sometimes years – of preparation all lead up to a few weeks at sea.

In 2022, during a two-month expedition funded by Caladan Oceanic and Inkfish aboard the vessel DSSV Pressure Drop, together with scientists from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, we descended into some of the deepest places around Japan: The Japan Trench, Ryukyu Trench and Izu-Ogasawara Trench – the latter reaching nearly 10 km below the ocean’s surface.

Bathymetry of the Northwest Pacific Ocean with specific study areas labelled. Inset maps relate to individual study sites described here in: Japan Trench (A), Boso triple junction (B), Izu-Ogasawara Trench (C) and Ryukyu Trench (D), with locations of submersible dives and lander deployments indicated. All regional elevation data sourced from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO Compilation Group 2024) and multibeam bathymetry data at study sites acquired for this study onboard DSSV Pressure Drop, which was supplemented with GEBCO data for the Ryukyu Trench (D). Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026.

Results are now available in “Faunal biodiversity of the lower abyssal and hadal zones of the Japan, Ryukyu and Izu-Ogasawara trenches (NW Pacific Ocean; 4534-9775 m)“, published in the Biodiversity Data Journal. We logged about 460 h of seafloor video footage, documenting at least 108 morphotaxa (distinct visual organism groups) between 4,534 and 9,775 m depth.

The bigger picture

We used two methods to document deep-sea life – crewed submersible transects and free-fall baited landers. This combination enabled us to build the most comprehensive visual baseline yet for abyssal and hadal megafauna in the Northwest Pacific to date.

  • The submersible ‘Limiting factor’ before the expedition launch. Photo credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
  • The ‘Limiting Factor’ submersible descending. Photo credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
  • The submersible observed from the lander. Photo credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic.

Subduction trenches, such as the Japan Trench, Ryukyu Trench, and Izu-Ogasawara Trench, are the planet’s deepest geological features. They are formed by the process of subduction, in which one tectonic plate is forced beneath another. Although this movement is slow on human timescales – cms per year – over millions of years, it carves long, narrow depressions in the seafloor that reach extreme depths, reshaping entire ocean basins.

These subduction zones are also known for major seismic events, such as earthquakes, which can trigger submarine landslides, remobilising sediment and rapidly transporting material into the trenches.

The trenches we studied are situated along some of the most tectonically active margins on Earth. Combined with the effects of depth, high hydrostatic pressure, near-freezing temperatures, and lack of sunlight, life in subduction trenches is shaped by a remarkable combination of forces. Understanding biodiversity in these systems, therefore, also means consideration of the unique environmental context that has shaped the ecosystems observed today.

Why this study matters

Videos from the submersible data collected in the Japan Trench in 2022. Video credit to Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic and The University of Western Australia.

Historically, our understanding of abyssal and hadal ecosystems, including those associated with subduction features, relied largely on trawls and physical samples. While these methods provide essential information, they can damage fragile organisms and rarely capture behaviour or ecological context.

Although observing them in their own habitat is still rare, image-based identification is central to biodiversity science at extreme depths. But without illustrated guides, consistent identification is difficult, often leaving researchers like ourselves with limited reference material.

So, this study was not simply about observing deep-sea organisms, but also aimed to establish a foundation for future research at these depths. With the help of taxonomic experts worldwide, we wanted to create baseline biodiversity data for the region at these depths – information that can inform imagery-based surveys and targeted specimen collection on subsequent expedition.

What did we see?

The submersible surveys enabled us to traverse different habitats and observe animals in their natural environment. Just as importantly, the submersible dives allowed us to record behaviour – something that remains poorly documented at these depths.

  • Bassozetus sp. at a 6,600 m depth.
    Bassozetus sp. at a 6,600 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
  • Snailfish and Eurythenes sp., feeding off the baited lander at 7,500 m depth.
    Snailfish and Eurythenes sp., feeding off the baited lander at 7,500 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.

Among the most striking encounters were dense aggregations of stalked crinoids at 9,137 m (forming a “crinoid meadow”), with hundreds of individuals anchored to rocks and terraces. We also observed carnivorous sponges at nearly 10 km depth, and filter-feeding isopods perched along rock edges.

  • Crinoid meadow at a 9300 m depth.
    Crinoid meadow at a 9,300 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
  • Crinoid on a rock at a 9,100 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
  • Isopods at a 7,500 m depth.
    Isopods at a 7,500 m depth. Credit to Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
  • Supergiant amphipod and Pseudoliparis fish at 7,000 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.

Meanwhile, baited landers revealed a different side of the ecosystem: the mobile scavenger and predator communities. They are deployed from the surface and free-fall to the seabed.

Once settled, they record everything that approaches the bait – mostly crustaceans and fish. We caught footage of supergiant amphipods (Alicella gigantea), predatory amphipods hunting smaller prey, and perhaps most excitingly, a snailfish feeding at depths down to 8,336 m – the deepest in-situ observation of a fish to date.

Macrouridae species and snailfish feeding on the baited lander at a 7,300 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceaninc.

Together, these two approaches revealed complementary parts of the same system and show that the hadal environment supports a remarkable diversity of life, with organisms highly adapted to conditions considered extreme by human standards.

Rarities and mysteries

Video footage of the mysterious organism. Footage credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.

Even with high-definition footage and international taxonomic expertise, some animals remain enigmatic. Twice, we filmed a slow-gliding animal that we have not been able to confidently assign to any phylum. Some thought they looked like nudibranchs, others like sea cucumbers, but nobody could agree.

Foraminifera (Monothalamea). A, B Clusters associated with metal debris; C clusters associated with wood debris; D dense localised patches; E clusters not associated with foreign objects; F patch of xenophyophore-like spherical structures. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026

Then there were xenophyophores: giant, single-celled organisms that build elaborate homes out of sediment. While a few morphotypes could be identified, the overall diversity and number of species remain uncertain.

Are the studied trenches the same?

@pensoft.publishers

😯Fascinating new #study recorded 108 morphotaxa from 4,500m down to the #hadal depths of 9,775m, revealing the hidden life of the NW Pacific trenches. 🎥They analyzed 460 hours of video from landers & submersibles across the Japan, Ryukyu, and Izu-Ogasawara trenches. 👇Full study here: https://doi.org/10.3897 /BDJ.14.e182172 📗You can read all about it on Pensoft’s blog 👇 https://blog.pensoft.net/2026/04/06/what-lives-10-km-below-the-surface-a-new-look-at-life-in-japans-deepest-ocean-trenches/ Research center: Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. Main funders of the expedition: Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic #deepsea #sciencetok #research

♬ THE MOON – Camargguinho

One of the most exciting aspects of this study was the ability to compare three separate subduction trenches. Broadly, many morphotaxa were shared across all three but local patterns differed. The Japan Trench hosted the highest number of observed morphotaxa, likely influenced by both sampling effort and environmental heterogeneity.

The Izu-Ogasawara Trench, the deepest surveyed, showed dramatic biological aggregations in its deepest parts. The Ryukyu Trench, despite being about as deep as the Japan Trench, lacked several taxa present in the other trenches. The differences in community composition and diversity likely reflect variations in depth, tectonic setting and nutrient input from surface waters.

Final thoughts

By integrating footage from submersible transects and baited lander deployments, we gained an unprecedented picture of the habitats and biodiversity of the Japanese subduction trenches.

Rock and various fauna and litter at 7,500 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceaninc.

Our observations show that these systems are shaped by a complex interplay of geological processes, productivity, disturbance and depth. While it’s easy to think of deep-sea trenches as untouched wilderness, our findings also showed evidence of human-derived debris, likely transported by downslope processes.

More than anything, the hadal zone remains one of Earth’s least-explored and most intriguing frontiers. As technological capabilities advance, continued exploration will be essential for uncovering the mechanisms that sustain life at these depths.

Original source:

Jamieson AJ, Swanborn DJB, Bond T, Cundy MC, Fujiwara Y, Lindsay D, Stott MS, Kitazato H (2026) Faunal biodiversity of the lower abyssal and hadal zones of the Japan, Ryukyu and Izu-Ogasawara trenches (NW Pacific Ocean; 4534-9775 m). Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e182172. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e182172

Pensoft joined the 9th European Conference of Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026)

Pensoft participated in this year’s 9th European Conference on Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö).

From February 23 to 27, the picturesque city of Passau hosted the 9th European Conference on Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026). Organized by the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) and held at the University of Passau, the event brought together around 250 participants from 31 countries to share the latest breakthroughs in tropical research.

Under the theme ‘Species-Ecosystems-People,’ the conference offered a multidisciplinary perspective through 175 oral presentations and 42 posters across 17 thematic sessions, bridging the gap between fundamental ecological research and the sustainable restoration of vital ecosystems.

A buzzing stand

  • Attendees in front of Pensoft’s booth.
  • Pensoft’s team tending to the visitors at the booth. Credit to: © Ina Voshage
  • Pensoft’s team tending to the visitors at the booth. Credit to: © Ina Voshage

From the very first day and throughout the week, the Pensoft booth was buzzing with people and activities. Attendees had the chance to explore our diverse portfolio of journals, many of which align seamlessly with the ‘Species-Ecosystems-People’ theme, including:

Editors of existing or yet-to-be-launched Diamond and Gold Open Access journals were also invited to visit the Pensoft stand to learn more about the process and benefits of migrating to or launching a journal on the ARPHA Platform.

Developed by Pensoft to power its own well-renowned scientific journals, ARPHA is now a globally recognised end-to-end solution for innovative, technologically advanced scientific publishing that comes with multiple in-house human-provided services.

Beyond browsing journals and discussing publishing opportunities, visitors engaged with our interactive “Pin Your Favourite Species” board and took promotional materials and stickers featuring the stunning artwork of Pensoft’s in-house scientific illustrator Denitsa Peneva, which proved to be a major visual draw.

A milestone partnership

Dr. Katarina Sam, president of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) at Pensoft's booth.
Dr. Katarina Sam, president of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) at Pensoft’s booth.

On 24th of February, Dr. Katerina Sam (gtö) signed the partnership. This MoU aims to promote research activities and optimise the dissemination of scientific knowledge within the tropical ecology community to ensure that important research findings reach a global audience through robust publication support.

One major highlight of this year’s conference was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) and Pensoft during the general assembly.

Keynote speakers

Our team on-site was delighted to meet several Pensoft authors who took the stage as keynote speakers to share their expertise.

On February 24th, Prof. Alexandre Antonelli of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew delivered a compelling lecture on “Illuminating Biodiversity Darkspots,” reminding us that over 90% of fungi remain unknown and 45% of plants are at risk of extinction.

Prof. Antonelli frequently contributes to our journals, including IMA Fungus, Frontiers of Biogeography, and Check List.

  • Prof. Antonelli during his keynote talk at ECTE 2026.
  • Prof. Antonelli during his keynote talk at ECTE 2026.

That same day, Dr. Maria Fungomeli of the National Museums of Kenya presented her keynote on “Biodiversity Patterns in the Kenyan Coastal Forests,” highlighting the vital links between coastal ecosystems, culture, and community.

During her talk, she featured her paper, ‘A new Vegetation-Plot Database for the Coastal Forests of Kenya,’ which was published in Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS).

A valued author and reviewer for VCS, Dr. Fungomeli has also contributed to several journals powered by ARPHA Platform, including Pensoft’s Biodiversity Data Journal and ZooKeys, as well as Senckenberg’s Contributions to Entomology.

  • Dr. Fungomeli during her keynote talk.
  • Dr. Fungomeli at Pensoft’s booth.

On February 25th, Prof. Rob Marchant of the University of York, an author in our open-access journal African Invertebrates, delivered his talk, “Embedding the Past for Balanced Future Tropical Mountain Social Ecological Systems.”

He explored how shifts in human-nature interactions over the last 6,000 years can help researchers understand the complex transitions from original forest extents to our modern landscapes. See Prof. Marchant’s paper in African Invertebrates here.

  • Prof. Marchant delivering his keynote talk.
  • Prof. Marchant аt our booth at ECTE 2026.

Recognizing scientific excellence

As one of the sponsors at ECTE 2026, Pensoft was delighted to present the Best Talk Award to Dr. Evangelia Linda Chronopoulou from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv).

  • The winners of the Best Talk presentation
  • Dr. Evangelia Chronopoulou at Pensoft’s booth.

Her presentation, “Aromatic delight: Revealing diversity and function of fruit microbiome in seed dispersal,” proposed a fascinating shift in ecological understanding.

During her talk, she suggested the potential that microbes co-evolved with animals and plants to support scent-driven seed dispersal effectively transforming a traditional bipartite interaction (plant-animal seed dispersal) into a tripartite one.

Dr. Chronopoulou received a waiver for a free publication in any open-access journal within the Pensoft portfolio.

After a fantastic week in Passau at ECTE 2026, Pensoft is now looking forward to the 10th European Conference on Tropical Ecology, which will take place in Aarhus, Denmark. There, Pensoft plans to establish further partnerships and continue its support for open science in insect research. See you there!

Group photo of attendees at the 9th European Conference of Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026). Credit to: © Ina Voshage

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Year of the Horse 2026: A selection of equine-related species to celebrate the Lunar New Year

Pensoft celebrates the Year of the Horse by showcasing scientific discoveries of equine-adjacent species.

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar. As the most important holiday in China, it is also widely celebrated across Korea, Vietnam, and other countries with a substantial Chinese diaspora.

In celebration of 2026 as the Year of the Horse, we reviewed our journals for horse-related studies. While our recent publications do not focus on horses themselves, we have highlighted several fascinating species that share an equine connection in their names.

2026 may be the Year of the Fire Horse, but we start our series with a creature of the opposite element: the seahorse!

Hippocampus japapigu in situ, Hejie, Kenting, Taiwan. (Photo credit: Chao-Tsung Chen).

Monitoring tiny, cryptic pygmy seahorses can be costly and logistically challenging. To overcome this, researchers from Taiwan turned to citizen science, gathering photographs from divers and underwater photographers via social media. Five species were identified, including two never before recorded in the region.

Among them is the charismatic “Japan pig” seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu, originally described from Japan in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

At the time, only seven pygmy seahorses had been identified globally. Documenting five of them in Taiwan established the region among the world’s biodiversity hotspots for these miniature fish.

Read more: ZooKeys 883: 83–90. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.883.39662

But seven did not remain the final count for long. In Chinese tradition, eight is considered an auspicious number, associated with prosperity and good fortune.

Enter Hippocampus nalu – the eighth recognized pygmy seahorse species!

Hippocampus nalu in situ, Sodwana Bay, South Africa at 14 m depth. (Photo credit: Richard Smith, oceanrealmimages.com).

It is also the first confirmed true pygmy seahorse recorded from Africa. Measuring just 20 mm, this tiny species was discovered at depths of 17 m on a sandy coral reef in Sodwana Bay, South Africa.

Read more: ZooKeys 934: 141–156. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.934.50924

Seahorses also feature in a remarkable Mediterranean story…

A study published in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria documented a stable and conspicuous population of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, in a highly polluted coastal lagoon in the Ionian Sea.

Hippocampus guttulatus observed during the diving visual census carried out in the Mar
Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea), 2011-2013. (Photo credit: Francesco Tiralongo and Rossella Baldacconi).

Through three years of diving surveys, amounting to 69 hours underwater, researchers recorded 196 sightings. The seahorses showed a clear preference for artificial hard substrates, while only a few individuals were found in algal meadows. 

Despite environmental fluctuations and pollution, the population persists. In the Year of the Horse, we wish you the same resilience and strength!

Read more: Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 44(2): 99–104. https://doi.org/10.3750/AIP2014.44.2.02

Fish is a traditional Lunar New Year dish, symbolising abundance and good fortune. While you won’t find a horsefish at the markets of Hainan, China, you can certainly spot a ponyfish.

Researchers have reported the first confirmed record of Aurigequula striata in Chinese waters, based on specimens collected at a fish market in Sanya, Hainan Island.

Aurigequula striata, left lateral view. (Photo credit: Jia-Jie Chen).

Live seafood markets have long proven to be unexpected hotspots for scientific discovery – just like the remarkable giant isopod Bathynomus vaderi described from market-purchased material in Vietnam.

As fresh as the seafood on display, this discovery was published in late January 2026 in ZooKeys. Newly collected specimens of Aurigequula fasciata enabled detailed morphological and genomic analyses, including the first complete mitochondrial genomes for both species and new phylogenetic insights into the family Leiognathidae.

Aurigequula fasciata, left lateral view. (Photo credit: Jia-Jie Chen).

Read more: ZooKeys 1267: 31–49. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1267.174380

Fittingly, we close with a horseshoe bat once feared lost. Its name bridges our equine theme with a traditional Chinese symbol: the word for bat (fú, 蝠) is a homophone for blessing (fú, 福), representing happiness and prosperity.

Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli), listed as Critically Endangered and unseen since 1981, was rediscovered in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, after 40 years.

Rhinolophus hilli, first observation of this species since 1981 in Nyungwe National Park. (Photo credit: Flanders, et al.).

Through cave surveys, forest capture efforts, and long-term acoustic monitoring, researchers confirmed the survival of this elusive species, bringing renewed hope for its conservation. 

Read more: Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e83546 https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.10.e83546

As we gallop into 2026, may the Year of the Horse bring you strength, endurance, and a stable path toward success. On behalf of Pensoft, we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Original sources:

Chen J-J, Zhong J-S, Zeng S, Yang D-Y, Liu P, Wang X-D, Zhang H-Y, Ye J-Q (2026) A new leiognathid record from China with complete mitogenomes and phylogenetic insights of two Aurigequula (Teleostei, Leiognathidae) species. ZooKeys 1267: 31-49. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1267.174380

Flanders J, Frick WF, Nziza J, Nsengimana O, Kaleme P, Dusabe MC, Ndikubwimana I, Twizeyimana I, Kibiwot S, Ntihemuka P, Cheng TL, Muvunyi R, Webala P (2022) Rediscovery of the critically endangered Hill`s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) and other new records of bat species in Rwanda. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e83546. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.10.e83546

Heard J, Chen J-P, Wen CKC (2019) Citizen science yields first records of Hippocampus japapigu and Hippocampus denise (Syngnathidae) from Taiwan: A hotspot for pygmy seahorse diversity. ZooKeys 883: 83-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.883.39662

Short G, Claassens L, Smith R, De Brauwer M, Hamilton H, Stat M, Harasti D (2020) Hippocampus nalu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from South Africa, and the first record of a pygmy seahorse from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei, Syngnathidae). ZooKeys 934: 141-156. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.934.50924

Tiralongo F, Baldacconi R (2014) A conspicuous population of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae), in a highly polluted Mediterranean coastal lagoon. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 44(2): 99-104. https://doi.org/10.3750/AIP2014.44.2.02

ResearchGate and Pensoft Publishers announce expansion of their Journal Home partnership

The partnership now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partner’s journals.

Berlin (Germany) and Sofia (Bulgaria), 10th February, 2026 – ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and Pensoft Publishers, an independent open access publisher and provider of high-quality scholarly publishing services, today announced an expansion of their Journal Home partnership. Building on an earlier collaboration announced in 2023, the list now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partners’ journals using the publisher’s ARPHA Publishing Platform. 

Amongst the journals now enjoying increased visibility across the ResearchGate’s community of 25+ million researcher members are well-renowned scholarly titles affiliated with the Natural History Museum in Berlin, Swiss Academy of Sciences, International Association for Vegetation Science and The International Biogeography Society, as well as recently launched Pensoft journals, such as Individual-based Ecology, Natural History Collections and Museomics, and Food and Ecological Systems Modelling Journal.

With most of Pensoft’s eligible partner journals choosing to participate, the expansion reflects strong demand for greater exposure and engagement opportunities, particularly among smaller and developing journals in niche research areas. Through Journal Home, partner publishers can reach more relevant audiences, improve discoverability, and connect more effectively with researchers worldwide.

Participating Pensoft journals will also benefit from:

  • Increased usage and readership, with full-text open access journal content seamlessly surfaced to highly relevant researcher communities across the ResearchGate platform.
  • Stronger engagement from new and returning authors, connecting partner journals, including specialist and emerging titles, with targeted researchers and potential authors throughout the research lifecycle.
  • Dedicated Journal Profiles and prominent placement of Pensoft journals to enhance visibility and branding, boosting recognition of partner journals with researcher communities around the world.
  • Improved author experience, with the automatic addition of published articles to author profiles, clearer insight into reader engagement, and greater opportunities for meaningful collaboration.

“Journal Home allows us to provide our partner journals with improved visibility and stronger connections with global researcher communities. Many of these journals serve highly specialised fields, and Journal Home helps make sure their articles reach the right researchers, who will benefit from them most.”

Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of Pensoft Publishers

“We’re pleased to expand our Journal Home partnership with Pensoft to support an increasing number of partner journals. By bringing these journals onto the platform, smaller and emerging titles can expand their reach, attract high-quality submissions, and connect with the most relevant researcher communities at key moments in their research journey.”

Robyn Mugridge, Head of Partnership Development at ResearchGate

For more information about Journal Home, please visit www.researchgate.net/journal-home.

For more information about ResearchGate, please visit www.researchgate.net.

For more information about Pensoft Publishers, please visit www.pensoft.net.

About ResearchGate

ResearchGate is the professional network for researchers. Over 25 million researchers use researchgate.net to share and discover research, build their networks, and advance their careers. Based in Berlin, ResearchGate was founded in 2008. Its mission is to connect the world of science and make research open to all.

About Pensoft Publishers

Pensoft is an independent, open-access scholarly publisher and technology provider, best known for its 40+ biodiversity journals, including ZooKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys, One Ecosystem, and Metabarcoding and Metagenomics. Ever since becoming the first to introduce semantic enrichments and hyperlinks within a scientific article in the field of biodiversity in 2010, Pensoft has been working on various tools and workflows designed to facilitate data findability, accessibility, discoverability and interoperability.

Pensoft and ARPHA integrate with Prophy to speed up reviewer discovery across 90+ scholarly journals

Prophy’s AI-driven discovery system will provide editors with a broader and more diverse pool of qualified peer reviewers based on automated semantic analysis.

In a new partnership between open-access scholarly publisher Pensoft and the AI-driven reviewer discovery system provider: Prophy, the editorial teams at all journals hosted on the publisher’s ARPHA Platform receive access to a broader and more diverse global pool of researchers. 

The integration connects ARPHA’s editorial and peer review workflows with Prophy’s continuously updated database of millions of active, qualified researchers. As a result, editorial teams across more than 90 open-access peer-reviewed journals powered by ARPHA can now opt to enjoy data-driven reviewer recommendations based on structured analysis of researcher expertise and publication history, with matches based on each manuscript’s topic, field, and research focus.

This development responds to a growing challenge in scholarly publishing. As submission volumes rise, the pressure on a relatively small pool of frequently invited reviewers increases, which eventually leads to delays and reviewer fatigue. By expanding the pool of potential experts and improving how they are identified with the help of semantic analysis, the integration supports a more sustainable and balanced approach to peer review.

“By working with Prophy, we’re helping editors discover expertise that might otherwise be overlooked, opening the door to a more inclusive, well-distributed, and resilient peer review ecosystem. This is about using technology not to replace human judgment, but to support it in a smarter and more responsible way.”

Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev, founder and CEO of Pensoft and ARPHA.

“We’re excited to work with Pensoft and ARPHA to bring smarter reviewer discovery to their editorial teams. Peer review should be efficient and fair, and this partnership helps with both. Editors can find the right expertise faster, which means less time searching and fewer delays. This integration helps editorial teams manage growing submission volumes without burning out their reviewer networks.”

Oleg Ruchayskiy, CEO of Prophy.

To further support editorial teams and client journals’ owners, Pensoft and ARPHA are offering the Prophy integration free of charge to all journals on the platform until the end of 2026. 

The partnership reflects Pensoft and ARPHA’s continued focus on equipping journals with practical, forward-looking tools that strengthen peer review, support editors, and help ensure the long-term sustainability of scholarly publishing.


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Pensoft and the University of Zurich sign strategic OA Agreement to support Swiss research

The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, and allows corresponding authors to publish their findings without individual Article Processing Charges.

Pensoft and the University of Zurich have signed a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, starting a partnership that enables researchers at participating institutions to publish their findings in Pensoft’s peer-reviewed journals without incurring individual Article Processing Charges (APCs).

The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, namely the University of Zurich, the University Hospital of Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, and the Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik.

Researchers from these institutions can now publish without worrying about APCs in 65 peer-reviewed journals published by Pensoft or hosted on its advanced ARPHA platform, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota, and IMA Fungus.

Under this new framework, publishing costs for corresponding authors affiliated with the respective institutions are 100% covered by a centralised institutional deposit secured by the University of Zurich. By removing financial barriers, the agreement encourages scientists to disseminate their work to both the academic community and the wider public, making research immediately and freely available upon publication.

This initiative ensures that research is shared under open licences in strict accordance with the FAIR principles—making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

“We are excited to start this partnership with the University of Zurich and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to  inclusive and equitable open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”

Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft

“We are pleased to extend our portfolio of gold open access journals, in which our researchers can publish their findings without paying individual APCs. We thereby strengthen our commitment to open research information.”

University Library Zurich

Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.

Pensoft and Bibsam Consortium announce new OA agreement to advance scholarly publishing in Sweden

The agreement covers almost 100 institutions, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Pensoft and the Bibsam Consortium, operated by the National Library of Sweden, are pleased to announce the signing of a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, marking a significant step in the transition towards a more transparent and open scholarly publishing landscape in Sweden.

Thanks to this move, researchers at participating institutions will be able to publish their findings in 65 journals published by Pensoft or using its advanced publishing platform ARPHA, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota and IMA Fungus, without incurring individual article processing charges (APCs). 

The agreement encompasses 97 research bodies, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

All authors affiliated with participating institutions can benefit from this agreement, with publishing costs 100% covered by an institutional deposit secured by the National Library of Sweden.

Unlike subscription-based systems, an OA framework ensures that scientific findings are immediately and freely available to the global community, supporting the global shift toward accessible science and adhering to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). 

OA agreements like this one reduce the financial burden on scientists and encourage them to share their work with both academia and the wider public, ultimately lowering barriers to sharing knowledge in a time when scientific input is key to resolving global challenges.

“We are excited to start this partnership with Bisbam and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”

Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft

“We are delighted to announce the addition of Pensoft Publishers to our portfolio of nationally funded agreements for 2026. This represents an important step towards achieving full open access to scientific publications in Sweden.”

Niklas Willén, License Manager at Bibsam Consortium and National Library of Sweden

Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.