The basics of the ocean you should know. All sorts of things about the sea that you might suddenly wonder about.

｜vol.06｜

We encounter various marine creatures every day through our meals, aquariums, videos, and other media.
So, just how many different kinds of creatures live in the vast ocean?

A. It is said that there are more than 2 million species,
Only about 10% has been discovered so far.

There are currently about 240,000 species of marine life that have been discovered.
Even in today's scientifically advanced world, the number of discoveries has remained largely unchanged since the 1800s.

The reasons are the overwhelming vastness and depth of the ocean, as well as the enormous costs involved in conducting research.
To change this situation, an international project is being launched to accelerate the discovery of unknown marine life.
「Ocean CensusThis initiative has been underway since 2023.

The discovery of new organisms may provide clues to miracle cures for incurable human diseases,
This will also lead to the development of environmentally friendly plastics.
Marine life is already being used as a raw material for many medicines, including those for cancer and infectious diseases.
It is useful in treating nerve pain.

Discovering unknown creatures has the potential to dramatically change the future.

●Learn more
Please also check out the following websites and books.
・The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census: Discovered 100,000 New Species of Living Organisms in 10 Years(Nippon Foundation official website)
・100 Things You Should Know About the Ocean
(Text by Jerome Martin, translated and supervised by Kaoru Takeuchi, Shogakukan, 2021)
・"OCEAN LIFE Illustrated Guide to Marine Life"
(Smithsonian Institution/Natural History Museum, London / supervised by; Tokyo Shoseki, 2021)

Graphic Design・Text: 3710Lab